


Before Things Fell Apart

by Chaunceytron



Category: Biohazard | Resident Evil (Gameverse)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-21
Updated: 2020-01-17
Packaged: 2020-01-23 04:59:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 23
Words: 35,887
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18542758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaunceytron/pseuds/Chaunceytron
Summary: Cass is an animal control officer for the Raccoon City Police Department. A harrowing encounter with strange dogs makes her start to see things in a new light.I've always wondered about the character dynamics between the STARS unit members before the first Resident Evil games. I'll write more if people are interested.





	1. Chapter 1

Cass stood by her car and took a deep breath. She could just leave and tell them later that her shoulder pain was too much, but Chief Irons had been adamant about everyone being there. Something about a “united front.” Adjusting her sling, she couldn’t help but sigh.  
“Are you well, Miss Walker?” a voice said from behind her, causing Cass to quickly spin around.  
A man with slicked back hair and sunglasses stood calmly behind her with a slight smile.  
“Uh, no. I mean, yes, Captain Wesker… The shoulder was just dislocated. Should be fine in a few weeks,” Cass said quickly and awkwardly.  
“That’s good,” Captain Wesker replied, but he sounded more curious than concerned. “How did it happen?”  
“Admiring the girl’s battle wounds, eh, Captain?” Barry asked with a smile as he got out of his car. Cass could feel her face flush as Barry walked closer. With a fond pat on her head, Barry continued, “I heard she fought against a pack of wild dogs. How many were there?”  
“Only three…” Cass muttered, embarrassed that the story had gotten so out of hand. Chris must be the one to blame. “I wouldn’t exactly call that a pack.”  
“I would!” Barry said with a loud laugh. “If I were you, I’d take the day to rest. I won’t tell the Chief I saw you. How about you, Captain?”  
“A day off wouldn’t hurt,” Captain Wesker agreed. “What about your partner?”  
“He’s in the hospital,” Cass said with a sad look. “I was able to pull the dog off him but not before it bit his leg. I’m more worried about the dogs.”  
Barry laughed, and even Captain Wesker looked amused. Cass realized how that sounded and explained, “I mean, that someone else will get hurt by them. They looked really ill. I could see their ribs… and I mean the actual bone. Bits of flesh had been ripped off… or maybe rotted off. I told Chief Irons, but he shrugged it off. I killed all three of them, but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t more.”  
“He’s probably more worried about the missing persons cases,” Barry explained as they started walking toward the park. “He probably wants you there just so he can gloat. At least now he can say that he’s doing something about the packs of wild dogs rumors.”  
Cass sighed in irritation. Actively fighting against the Chief would do her no favors. Especially not when the Chief’s three most hated members of the STARS unit were her friends. Barry tried to cheer her up with some dad-level jokes, but even though she laughed, her heart just wasn’t in it. Captain Wesker had abandoned them to talk to Irons. Cass looked at them with curiosity before a familiar voice caught her attention.  
“Cass!” Chris called as he walked over. “Oh, hey, Barry. How’s it going?”  
Barry pat Chris on the back and said, “Oh, I understand. I’m just an afterthought when Cass is here.”  
“Pretty much,” Joseph said from behind Chris. “Now you know how I feel. So neglected.”  
Even though Joseph’s voice sounded sad, he couldn’t keep the grin from his face. Cass rolled her eyes, while Barry laughed at Chris’ irritation.  
“Irons is about to give his speech. Let’s go to the podium and get this over with,” Forest said wearily, and Cass nodded.  
They walked closer to the stage but stayed at the back. The scowl on Chief Iron’s face told Cass that they had made the right decision. Chris, Joseph, and Forest were his least favorite members of the force, and he blamed Barry for Chris joining. Cass looked away when her eyes met his.  
“Uh, oh,” Forest murmured and softly nudged Cass’ uninjured right arm. “Looks like he wants your attention.”  
“I have no intention of pretending that I ‘solved’ the wild dog problem when he won’t invest in time in making certain that there aren’t any more. He can find someone else to be his puppet.”  
Joseph chuckled and adjusted his bandana, and Chris gave her an approving look. Cass looked to Captain Wesker. She wondered if he’d said something about the dog attack to Chief Irons, but the chief decided to go ahead with his speech. It was a load of garbage. The chief kept her name out of the conversation, but he credited the animal control department with the eradication of a pack of wild dogs. Cass could feel her fist shaking in fury as he told the news that his departments were doing all they could to cull the problem.  
“I need… I need to take a walk,” Cass whispered, and Chris nodded.  
He gave her a careful half-hug and whispered, “Don’t worry. He’s putting on a show for the cameras. Probably won’t even notice you’re gone, and if he does… who cares?”  
Cass hugged him in return before quickly walking into the nearby forest. She took a deep breath as the sound of the pompous, pathetic excuse for a police chief faded into nothingness. Taking a seat under one of the bigger trees, she focused on her breathing and tried to find calm. Chief Irons enjoyed the spotlight. He enjoyed the praise, but he had no intention of working to earn it. Jack was in the hospital. People were disappearing, and the man in charge of protecting this city had no intention of investigating the cause.  
Laughter startled her. It took her a couple seconds to realize that she was the one laughing. Was she laughing at the hopelessness of the situation? The stupidity of Irons? She rested her head on the tree behind her. Calm seemed to harder to find these days, and it didn’t seem like things were going to get any easier. Closing her eyes, she tried once again to clear her thoughts.  
“Are you alright?” Captain Wesker’s voice made her open her eyes.  
“Just… looking for peace and quiet… something to calm my nerves.”  
“Ah… Chief Irons mentioned your efforts, but I suppose you didn’t hear that.”  
Cass let out a dry laugh and said, “Great. Bet he was upset I wasn’t there to serenely wave my uninjured hand and pretend that everything is just dandy.”  
“Isn’t it?”  
“Not when he’s burying his head in the sand.”  
“Hmm, are you sure you’re not in pain? You normally aren’t this…”  
“Unhelpful. Mean-spirited. Petty.”  
“… uncooperative was what I was going to say.”  
Cass laughed and admitted, “I’m nicer around Chris. Mostly because he loves to call me out when I’m ‘rude’ or ‘not thinking about others.’ Usually I just go with the flow because it’s easier, but… people can get hurt. People have been hurt.”  
“You believe that dogs are behind the disappearances?”  
“Some of them at least. And I was referring to Jack. My partner,” Cass clarified when Captain Wesker looked confused. “They were fast. Unbelievably so. I’m not a bad shot, and it took me a while to kill two of them. I’ve dealt with stubborn Pit Bulls and anxiety-ridden Great Danes. I’ve never even pulled a muscle before. Not because I’m super strong but because I’m good at anticipating animal behavior and how to act accordingly. Those dogs… it wasn’t rabies. It was something else. Something worse.”  
Cass noticed her hand shaking and covertly hid it under her leg. She continued uneasily as Captain Wesker walked closer, “But I’ll be fine. No need to worry about me… Just some rest will help. And some quiet.”  
Captain Wesker had stopped in front of her and got down on one knee. He gave her a smile and said, “You don’t need to pretend to be fine. If you aren’t, then just say so, but I do admit to being somewhat disappointed. Not by you, of course. I suspect that something will cause the STARS team to be deployed soon, and I was hoping that you would join us. Not as an associate but as a member of the team.”  
Cass looked at him in confusion and said, “But, uh, I don’t have any experience like you or Chris. I’m just in animal control.”  
“And an animal may be responsible. You have a gun license and are quite a good shot. I’ve seen you practicing with Chris at the range. You might even be a better shot than some of the members on our team. Aside from that, Bravo team just hired someone without any of your experience. Sure, she’s a child prodigy, but I’d rather have an expert with a gun on my team.”  
Captain Wesker gave her an encouraging smile, but Cass looked down and said, “I’d hardly call myself an expert.”  
“As always, you are being too hard on yourself, but… I’d understand if you are too shaken to come with us. I’m sure Chris would be more confident if you came with us, but I understand your reservations. It was a harrowing experience, and you must be drained.”  
“Yeah… I’ll… um, think about it. Thanks.”  
Captain Wesker was still smiling and held up a hand for her to take. Cass put her hand in his and marveled at how effortlessly he helped her up. She followed him back to the crowd with new confidence. A part of her was a little unsure of the smirk he’d had when she took his hand, but that had to be a trick of the light. Perhaps he thought of one of Barry’s jokes. That was probably it. After all, Chris admired the captain, and that alone was enough for Cass.


	2. Chapter 2

A twinge of pain made Cass gingerly grab her shoulder. Maybe she should have taken the time off. Doing the filing for the department wasn’t straining, but that didn’t stop her from finding ways to hurt herself. She walked to her desk to find that Chief Irons had left a stack of papers with a note to deliver them to the S.T.A.R.S. office.   
“Bastard,” she mumbled under her breath but grabbed the files as best as she could. The S.T.A.R.S. office was in the same building as the chief’s office. Had he gotten his secretary to carry them all the way here, just so Cass could carry them all the way back? Clearly, he was taking out his stress on her, but she refused to let it get to her.   
Putting the papers in her briefcase, Cass left the Animal Control Building and walked toward the main building. The tall buildings here blocked out the wind. This city made Cass feel claustrophobic, and if Chris hadn’t moved here, she would have been long gone by now. At least she would get to say hello. With a newfound pep in her step, she opened the door and strode inside. As she rounded the corner, she nearly bumped into one of the officers.   
“Oh, sorry,” she said and backed away quickly.   
“No problem,” the messy haired officer said with a smile, and Cass instantly remembered his name, Kevin Ryman. It was a name she avoided.  
“Well, excuse me, Officer Ryman. I have something to deliver to the S.T.A.R.S. office,” Cass said matter-of-factly and quickly walked past him.   
Unfortunately, he didn’t take the hint and followed cheerfully. He asked, “Are you coming to the Fourth of July party? I heard it’s going to be a blast. Chief Irons got some special fireworks.”  
“Maybe, I’m not sure,” Cass replied breezily.   
“I heard your buddy Chris is going. Wouldn’t want him to hook up with some babe, would you?” Kevin asked with an interested glance at her.  
“It’s not like that,” Cass snapped irritably.   
“Woah, now. No need to be so serious. Just joking. You should come with my group. Maybe relax a little. Learn to lighten up.”  
Cass stopped just to glare at him and said with a measured tone, “I know how to ‘lighten up’.”  
“Come on. I was just joking. You’re not really proving me wrong though…” he said, and Cass started to hurry up the staircase, trying to leave him behind. “So that’s a no?”  
“Brilliant skills of deduction.”  
“You know… you’re not this uptight when you’re with Chris and his friends. I’m trying to get along with you, but you don’t make this easy. Joseph and I aren’t really that different. What is it about me that you just don’t like?”  
Cass looked at him with irritation and responded, “Joseph has a sense of professionalism and doesn’t come to work smelling of booze and cigarettes.”  
“Is that it?” Kevin asked with a laugh. “A bit puritanical, huh?”  
“Off-time is your time. Work time is not. I even heard that you drink on the job. What happens when your lackadaisical nature gets someone killed because you were too impaired to read a situation fast enough?!”  
“Hey, I’m still a good enough shot even with a couple drinks,” Kevin retorted defensively.   
“One day, that might not be enough,” Cass said and walked toward the office.  
“I am sorry,” Kevin said, and Cass stopped and turned to see him looking at her with a sympathetic smile. “I heard about your partner. He’s at the general hospital, right? Do you think he’d mind if I paid him a visit?”  
Cass nodded reluctantly but replied gratefully, “I’m sure Jack would appreciate it.”  
She quickly opened the S.T.A.R.S. door and walked inside the office to find it empty.  
“Figures,” she mumbled and walked to Captain Wesker’s private office to open the brief case. After setting the papers down on his desk, she turned around to see Captain Wesker standing in the doorway with amused look on his face. She involuntarily jumped but soon relaxed.  
“Apologies,” the captain said quickly. “So… the chief sent you to deliver something to me?”  
“Yes…”  
“I believe someone would call that ‘petty’ when his office is on the same floor,” the captain said with a knowing smile, and Cass laughed. “Thank you for your time, Miss Walker.”  
“No problem. They’re actually running out of things for me to do at the office. I suppose this is the chief’s way of creating work for me to do.”  
“If you wouldn’t mind, may I ask for you to be transferred here? Not as a field operative… yet. But we do need someone to help us go over the paperwork. Chris is currently trying to bury himself in it.”  
Captain Wesker looked irritably at Chris’ desk, which was stacked with papers. No doubt that it was an unorganized mess with no sense of logic whatsoever. Cass nodded and replied, “I’d be happy to help, but I don’t know how Chief Irons would react to the news. Who else will run his pointless errands?”  
Captain Wesker laughed and said, “You let me worry about the chief. If you don’t have anything else to do, I’d appreciate it if you could help out with Chris’… workload. They’ve just been called out. A house in the suburbs was ransacked, and one of the children is missing.”  
“No problem, sir. Chris’ shift will be over in a few hours. Poor Forest… He’d have an absolute fit if he had to deal with this… And Chris would use getting called out as an excuse.”  
Captain Wesker nodded, and Cass got to work. Sorting through the files, she organized them back into a semblance of order then put them into folders with new labels. She continued arranging them by animal attack, disappearance, or potential cannibal attack. Grim news but that was the current state of Raccoon City. No wonder Chief Irons had been more on edge than usual. The news teams weren’t all fond of them, and there was a reporter among them known for being ruthless. Perhaps that was what Irons had been talking about when he had said an “united front.”  
The opening of the door caught Cass’ attention, and she turned to see Bravo Team entering the door. Forest grinned when he saw her in Chris’ chair and said jokingly, “Stealing Chris’ position? How sneaky.”  
“More like cleaning up Chris’ mess,” Cass responded and gestured to the now organized and presentable paperwork. “Unless you wanted to go through this mess… I could always put it back to the way it was.”  
“No! No, no, no. Thank you very much,” Forest said gratefully and picked up one of the files. “I swear, Chief Irons made me share a desk with Chris just to drive me insane. OH! You’ve even made neat little notes. Thanks.”  
“So, it’s good enough for you, Mr. Perfectionist?” Cass asked playfully and got out of the chair.  
“I know what it looked like before you got here. That mess has been sitting here for a few days now. I refused to clean it up this time. I was hoping Chris would get the message.”  
“Oh, so I should have left it then?”  
“No! Once again, thank you. It was driving me crazy, but I’d made a promise to myself.”  
“Chris doesn’t understand ‘subtle.’ Just tell him to put things back where he finds them.”  
“If I try to order him around, he’ll just challenge me to a shooting match. Loser does the cleanup, and you know how that goes,” Forest replied wearily.  
“If it comes to that, I’ve got an idea,” Cass said with a smirk. “Or I could just tell him off. I’m now the S.T.A.R.S. secretary, so I’ll have plenty of time to yell at him.”  
Forest laughed excitedly and asked, “So how long are you with us today?”   
“I still have about two hours before I can clock out. Need any help?”  
“Aren’t you injured?” a small voice asked, and Cass looked to see the new member of Bravo Team Rebecca looking at her worriedly. “A dislocated shoulder isn’t the worst thing that could happen, but it’s still no walk in the park.”  
Cass gave the girl what she hoped was a reassuring smile and said, “I won’t do anything too stressful. Just filing and running errands. If you guys need something heavy moved, ask elsewhere.”  
Rebecca seemed reassured as Jill made her way into the room. Cass met Jill’s eyes with a worried look, and Jill smiled a tired but happy smile in return. They’d found the child. Cass relaxed as Chris walked into the room with that stupid grin.  
“Oh, Forest, you finally cleaned the desk,” Chris said, and Cass watched anxiously as Forest tried to suppress his rage. “I was going to do it, but we got called out. Sorry about that.”  
“I didn’t clean it; Cass did,” Forest said, already sounding tired.  
“You made Cass clean it?! With her injured shoulder?!”  
“First off,” Cass interjected before it could escalate. “I did it of my own free will. Secondly, it’s only one shoulder. I’m not impaired… that much. And lastly, if you know the mess is hard to clean, then why make it in the first place? Put things back where you found them. Got it?”  
Chris sighed and replied awkwardly, “Okay, that’s fair… Sorry about that. I’ll try to keep my mess contained in the future.”  
“Thanks, man,” Forest responded.   
“After all, Cass is scary when she’s mad, and I don’t need that kind of negativity.”  
“Chris!” Cass yelled and chased him out of the office, but she could hear Chris laughing all the way down the staircase as he ran.  
“Idiot,” she murmured with a smile before walking back into the office.


	3. Chapter 3

Cass walked outside to see Chris in the parking garage holding a confetti cannon over his shoulder. She put her hands up and said with a smile, “Alright there, officer. No need to go for the big guns.”  
Chris laughed excitedly and said, “It was Joseph’s idea. Are you going with us the party? I promise to take you home as soon as you want to.”  
Cass stared into Chris’ puppy dog like eyes and said wearily, “Okay, but I don’t know how much I can handle. Kevin is going to be there… with his friends.”  
Chris didn’t seem to acknowledge the last part of what she’d said and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for her. Cass put her hand on her hip and said defiantly, “And I’m not a child. My dominant hand is still working. I could drive on my own if I wanted.”  
“I know,” Chris said looking embarrassed. “It’s just when they told me you were in the hospital… Just let me do this for now. For me, not you.”  
Cass could feel her face flush as she complied. She knew what he was really thinking about, so she kept her mouth shut. Chris’ mom and dad had gotten into a car accident and passed away four years ago. She knew that Chris blamed himself for not being there when it happened. Stupid, Cass thought irritably. He’d been in the Air Force. There was nothing wrong with that, but she knew better than to get into that.  
“Claire sent me a message yesterday. She’s doing well, and she’ll be going on a vacation with some of her college friends before the end of the month.”  
“Oh,” Chris said, trying to sound nonchalant, but Cass knew better. After the accident, Chris had come home to take care of Claire, but their relationship had become strained. Both of them seemed happy to have Cass as a mediator. However, Cass missed the ease of their relationship, and she wondered if there was a way to get them to talk to each other.   
Deciding to wait until they were parked in a spot before she shared more details, she looked out of the window. Chris’s reflection in the mirror looked her way. A little smirk grew on her face once he stopped the car.  
“Oh, and her boyfriend’s going too,” Cass said and looked to Chris in time to see his eye twitch. “You know, you could just call each other from time to time. There’s even this handy button called the speaker button, which could allow both of us to hear a conversation.”  
“She probably just doesn’t want to talk to me.”  
“You two idgits want to talk to each other, but it seems stubbornness runs in your blood.”  
“Is that why you and I get along so well?” Chris asked with a smile.  
“Don’t put me at your level. I can go with the flow,” Cass said stubbornly.  
“Uh huh,” Chris replied with a huge grin and handed her the confetti cannon from the back. “Then I want to see it. Go with the flow.”   
Chris got out of the car and opened the door her with that stupid grin. Rolling her eyes, she got out of the car and followed Chris to the field. Families sat on blankets in the field, waiting for the explosion of colors to grace the skies. Cass looked to Chris and realized why he’d been so adamant about driving together. His family had taken her to see the fireworks almost every year before Cass’ family had moved away. Going alone would have been hard.   
“Oh, you did come!” Kevin appeared on Cass’ right. “And you brought something fun! That’s surprising!”  
Cass glared at him before realizing how far away Chris had gotten. With as much indifference as she could muster, she said, “Good to see you. Bye.”   
She walked faster to catch up to Chris. Footsteps behind her told her that Kevin was still behind her, and she quickly turned around, catching him by surprise.   
“What do you want? You already think I’m a jerk or a prude, so why not just leave me alone?” she asked irritably. “You don’t need to talk to me, and I don’t understand why you’d even want to.”  
“I don’t think you’re a jerk,” Kevin replied and brushed his hair away from his eyes, and Cass raised an eyebrow in response. “You can be… cagey, but I don’t think you’re as bad as everyone says.”  
“’As everyone says’?” she asked with narrowed eyes.  
“A joke,” Kevin explained with a sigh. “I just want to—”  
An arm gently wrapped around her, and Chris spoke up, “Joseph is holding our spot.”  
“Oh, thanks, Chris,” Cass said, relieved by his appearance.   
“Hey, Kevin. Nice seeing you,” Chris said in a friendly tone, but his eyes said something entirely different.  
“Nice seeing you,” Kevin said with a friendly smile before walking off to find his friends. Cass noted irritably that Kevin didn’t seem even remotely fazed by Chris, just a little disappointed. She briefly wondered what he was trying to do, but she then decided that it didn’t matter.   
“Sorry about that,” Chris muttered and moved his arm away.  
“For what? You came to my rescue as usual,” Cass said and pat his back with a smile. “The white knight. Always plunging headfirst into danger.”  
“You make it sound like a bad thing.”  
“It’s one of your worst qualities… but I don’t hate it,” Cass said before gesturing. “Lead the way, Sir Redfield.”  
Chris’ faces brightened into a smile, and he led the way. A thought occurred to Cass on the way. How many times growing up had she been led by this smiling idiot on an adventure? The only difference between then and now was that they were no longer holding hands. Her face flushed, and she looked away. Why had she thought about that? They weren’t kids anymore. She looked back to where they were going to see Joseph waiting in a spot under the cover of a few trees. Not enough to block the sky but enough to serve as a back support.  
“Oh, there you guys are!” Joseph said with a cheerful wave. “Did you get lost?”  
“I got waylaid. Everything’s fine now though,” Cass answered.  
Joseph looked curious but seemed to rethink asking any further questions. Cass sat on the ground and leaned onto one of the trees. As Chris sat down beside her, she stared at the sky and sighed.  
“Can’t see the stars?” Chris asked, leaning on the same tree with his eyes closed.   
“Nope. As always, the city lights are too bright.”  
Joseph got up and looked around excitedly. With a note of excitement in his voice, he said, “Oh, I think I see Jill! I’m going to see if she wants to join us.”  
As Joseph ran off into the crowd, she felt something on her shoulder. Chris had fallen asleep and was resting his head on her shoulder. Looking at him closely, she could tell he hadn’t been sleeping well lately. It was a feeling she knew well. Deciding to just be his pillow for now, she continued looking up at the sky. She let her memories of a star-covered sky fill her vision, imagining where each constellation would be.   
Cass and Chris had grown up in a more rustic setting. Spending nights under the stars had been a routine thing for them. She half-expected to hear Claire’s voice calling for them, but those days were long gone. Cass closed her eyes and rested her head on Chris’. The noise around her faded. The calm she’d been fighting for finally enveloped her before the sound of laughter woke her up.  
She opened her eyes to see Jill giving Joseph a disapproving look. He raised his arms defensively and said, “Sorry. I just got the sudden image of a cat curled up with a dog. Sorry to wake you guys up, but the show’s going to start in a few minutes.”  
Chris lifted his head and stretched his arms before giving Cass a goofy grin. She rolled her eyes in return but couldn’t keep the smile off her own face. Jill sat on the ground on the other side of Chris, offering Cass and Chris some candy. Gleefully accepting some of the goodies, Cass relaxed and waited for the show to start while Chris, Jill, and Joseph recounted the day’s events for her.   
The blast of a firework made her jump. She looked up to see a burst of colors fill the sky and glanced at Chris to see him also looking up at the sky with a warm smile on his face. She rested her hand on the ground and felt a hand rest on top of hers. She glanced at Chris to see him give her an embarrassed look, but she didn’t pull her hand away. Turning back to the fireworks, she felt reassured by the gentle warmth on her hand.


	4. Chapter 4

Yelling could be heard from Chief Irons office as Cass walked past. Feeling a twinge of guilt, she ignored it to continue walking toward the S.T.A.R.S. office. No need to earn the ire of the chief. She had enough problems; her partner Jack had gone missing from the hospital. Alpha Team had been dispatched to look for him, but Cass couldn’t help but feel like something was very wrong. He’d been in intensive care for about a week when he suddenly started becoming aggressive. The hospital had put him in quarantine, but he’d still managed to escape.  
Cass opened the door to the office and was surprised to see the Vice-Captain standing in the office. Marini greeted her with a nod of his head, which Cass pretended she didn’t see. She continued to Wesker’s office and put the neatly organized files on his desk. While she didn’t think Marini was a bad person, she’d seen the suspicious glances he’d thrown in Chris and Barry’s direction, and it irked her.  
“Hello, Miss Walker. How are you today?” Marini asked with slight irritation at being ignored.  
“Better than the chief’s secretary, I’m sure,” Cass said and began checking over the files to make sure they were correct.  
“Ah, so he’s still going at it then. Poor man.”  
Cass nodded her head and continued to sort the files when she blurted out, “Why are you acting so different to Barry and Chris? Have they done something I’m not aware of? Or is it just because of what Chris said about Barry being the most experienced member? He didn’t mean to upset you, and neither of them are planning to steal your job.”  
Maini stared at her in shocked silence before he suddenly grew serious and asked, “And how would you know that? I’m not upset by what Chris said. That’s a fact. I just can’t help but wonder why neither of them have applied for a higher position.”  
“Maybe because you’re in that higher position. Barry doesn’t seem to even want that much responsibility, and if you’re worried about Chris, you really shouldn’t be. He’s not the kind of person to hide his intentions. I don’t think he even has the ability for that kind of thing. If he wanted to take your position from you, he would announce it to your face, and it wouldn’t be because he just wanted the power of the position. It would be because you failed, and he thought that he could do a better job.”  
“You seem to hold Chris in high esteem,” Marini said thoughtfully, carefully regarding her words.  
“Because I know him. And you won’t find a more straightforward, reliable, and trustworthy person anywhere. That’s not bias. Just a fact.”  
“Sounds like bias. Do you really think you can be unbiased when talking about a childhood friend?”  
“Oh, I never said he’s not a giant pain in my ass from time to time. I don’t believe in putting people on a pedestal. I could go on for days about how annoying he can be, but that has nothing to do with your insecurities. You can go on believing that they’re planning an insidious coup, but the only person you’re sabotaging is yourself.”  
Marini didn’t say anything when Cass walked past him to the door. She opened it to find Captain Wesker and Kevin Ryman waiting outside and froze in embarrassment. The amused looks on the captain and Kevin’s faces told Cass that they’d heard at least some of that.  
“Uh… just how much of that did you hear?”  
“Everything!” Kevin blurted out with a laugh, earning an irritated look from the captain. “We didn’t want to interrupt, and I thought you had the situation covered.”  
“But was I wrong?” Cass asked as she could feel her face flush.  
“No,” Marini said surprising Cass. “You weren’t wrong. Thank you. Too bad you’re so set on being on Alpha Team… though with Kevin taking the test again maybe I’ll get another new recruit.”  
Cass looked from Marini to Captain Wesker in confusion, and Captain Wesker explained, “Kevin has asked to reapply to the S.T.A.R.S. Team. We decided to wait until your shoulder heals and test you both together. That will give us plenty of time to get everything set up. Especially since it’s been so eventful lately… Alpha Team is still searching for Jack. Unfortunately, there’s been no sign of him, but we’ll keep searching.”  
Cass looked down and nodded. With a sigh, she looked up at Captain Wesker with a sad smile and said, “I know. Chris isn’t one to leave a man behind. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to take my break now.”  
Captain Wesker nodded and gently pat her shoulder before walking into the office. Kevin looked like he had something he wanted to say, so she quickly walked past him. She really couldn’t deal with him right now. Realizing that she’d left her lunch in the S.T.A.R.S. office, she walked down the stairs. She hadn’t been feeling hungry anyway. Plus she could always go and visit the dogs. With a smile on her face, she walked to the RCPD dog kennel. Tony had told her that he’d gotten a couple of puppies to train and said that she could play with them. He was likely feeling sorry for her, but if that got her the chance to play with puppies, then it was okay with her.  
She excitedly opened the door to the kennels to see Tony with a couple of German Shepherd puppies. Cass let out a small squeak of excitement, and Tony laughed. Raccoon City usually used Dobermans as their police dogs, but Tony had requested German Shepherds. Tony put the puppies on the floor. The puppies happily galloped on the floor, and when she sat on the floor, they jumped and tried to lick Cass’ face in excitement.  
“Would you mind watching them while I go and grab my lunch?” Tony asked with a smile.  
“Of course not!” Cass replied.  
She played with the puppies on the ground using her good hand. They yipped happily and jumped around her, playfully biting at her shirt. Normally she would have corrected their behavior, but they had a lifetime of following commands. Letting them just be puppies was good for now.  
The door opened, and Cass quickly blocked them from running toward the door and asked, “Did you forget something?”  
“No, but you did,” Kevin said and closed the door behind him. “Your lunch, ma’am.”  
Kevin lifted up her lunch bag with a smile.  
“Thank you,” Cass said as the puppies ran toward him.  
“Hey, little guys!”  
Kevin played with them for a moment before they ran back to Cass and snuggled into her lap. He got onto the floor beside her and gently pet the puppies with a warm smile.  
“How’d you know I was here?” Cass asked as she passed one of the puppies to him.  
“Tony told me that he’d gotten some puppies. I just connected the dots,” Kevin explained and gently reassured the puppy.  
Cass looked at him for a moment before asking, “Why are you so nice to me? I’m not nice to you.”  
“But you were the first day we met,” Kevin said, smiling at her look of confusion. “About four years ago… I was at Jack’s bar. One of the girls was worried since her drink had moved. I offered to drink it and buy her another one to make sure. Honestly, I just assumed that she had moved it and was too drunk to remember. Turns out she was right. I passed out on a street corner about a block from my house.”  
Cass’ eyes widened, and she asked, “That was you?”  
Kevin laughed and said, “I forgive you for not recognizing me. I was… a bit of a mess at the time. You somehow muscled a six-foot man with little support all the way to the hospital. I don’t remember much, but I remember you.”  
“It’s no problem,” Cass murmured, pointedly not looking at him. “Why didn’t you say something before?”  
“Well, I was a bit embarrassed to be honest. To have such a cute girl see me in such a bad state… truly embarrassing.”  
Cass gave him a glare, which he laughed at, and she knew that her heart wasn’t really in it. Kevin looked at her in silence for a moment, and she asked tentatively, “What? Is something wrong?”  
“Just wondering why you’re so… distrustful. Particularly of me. You’ve had Chris as a friend since you were a kid. You’d think that would make you more trusting of people.”  
“It doesn’t mean that Chris is the only person I’ve met… You remind me of someone I was friends with. Or that I thought I was friends with. He was charming and friendly at first, but after the semester was over, I saw him in the hallway. He saw me, and when I waved, he looked away. I guess he only needed me to pass Algebra…”  
“So, what I’ve learned is… that you think I’m charming,” Kevin replied with a smile then a laugh when Cass narrowed her eyes. “I just want to be friends with my hero; is that not a good enough reason?”  
“No… it’s good enough… I suppose,” Cass said and looked away. She didn’t want to see that smug smile, and she didn’t want him to see her embarrassed one.


	5. Chapter 5

The sound of gunfire echoed as Cass walked on the walkway of the shooting range. It wasn’t a new sound to her, but the loudness didn’t help her headache. Getting yelled at by Chief Irons for just dropping off paperwork wasn’t how she’d planned on ending her day. He was likely stressed out by the escalation of attacks. He’d held a conference where he’d announced his plan to have S.T.A.R.S. investigate the area, but the media was already at his throat.   
Cass could deal with the chief’s aggression, but she was worried about the people who worked directly beneath him. His secretary hadn’t been seen in days. No doubt the stress had gotten to him. He’d been looking more and more ragged, and Cass wouldn’t blame him for running away from this nightmare. But Cass couldn’t run away. She had a reason to stay here, and she needed to speak to the only one who seemed to have any kind of control over the chief.  
“Oh, Cass!” Kevin’s voice called out. “Did you come to see me? I’m a pretty impressive shot if I do say so myself.”  
Lieutenant Marvin Branagh stood beside him and rolled his eyes. Cass laughed and waved at the lieutenant as Kevin jogged forward to talk to her.  
“I’m here to see Captain Wesker actually. Have you seen him around?” Cass asked, noticing a slight frown on Kevin’s face, but it was gone in an instant.  
“I saw your buddy Chris earlier, but I didn’t see the captain. Hey… why do you need to see him?”  
“Chief Irons is on the warpath again… and the only person he seems to listen to is the captain,” Cass explained, putting a hand to her forehead. “Also, someone might want to check on Ben… Normally I would think he just got fed up and quit, but with everything going on… I just think it’s better to be safe than sorry.”  
Marvin gave her a sympathetic look and said, “I’d agree with that. Kevin, I’m going back to the office. I’ll ask around and see if anyone has heard anything about Ben. You should take a break, kid.” Marvin gave Cass a sad smile and continued, “You can’t run on steam forever. If I were you, I’d take a well-earned rest. Go somewhere nice. You’ve lost a partner… that’s not something you can or should take in stride.”  
Cass nodded and clenched her fist. Nightmares had plagued her for a while now, and they had been getting worse lately. Instead of being chased by the diseased and decaying dogs, she now had dreams of being chased by a diseased and rotting Jack.   
As Marvin walked away, Kevin said hesitantly, “He has a point… You should take a few days at least… even if you stay in the area.”  
Cass gave him a side glance before walking further down the range and said, “No. Thank you, but I’m going to find Chris.”  
The sound of gunshots covered any reply Kevin might have had, and Cass picked up her pace. A sudden but gentle tug on her sleeve. Cass turned around furiously, only to have her angry words die in her throat. Kevin held onto her sleeve miserably. As he struggled to find the words he wanted to say, laughter in the distance caught Cass’ attention.  
Cass turned to see Chris looking grumpy while Forest had a pep in his step. Joseph jokingly prodded Chris, earning a glare.   
Kevin mumbled something, but the gunfire made it impossible to hear. He suddenly let go, looking flustered. “I… uh, I’ll talk to you later. I should go find the lieutenant.”  
Cass watched with curiosity and confusion as Kevin suddenly turned and walked away, but then Joseph called her name. Chris looked horrified as Joseph ran toward her with a laugh.   
“Guess who won today’s competition!” Joseph said while adjusting his bandana.  
“Well, Forest seems even more smug than usual,” Cass replied as Chris laughed.  
“Uncalled for,” Forest said with a wink. “Did you come here in the hopes of watching my crushing defeat? Sorry to disappoint.”   
“Actually, I was looking for Captain Wesker. Harry said he saw the captain heading this way. I assumed he would be here with you.”  
“Oh,” Chris said with surprise. “Really? I haven’t seen him.”   
“That’s okay… It was just a small question anyway.”  
Forest and Joseph shared a look that made it clear they didn’t believe her, but they seemed to mutually agree not to pry. Chris looked around the shooting range. Cass hadn’t seen the captain on the way here; maybe Harry was mistaken.   
“Are you just now finishing up?” Captain Wesker asked as he exited the indoors shooting range further down the path.   
Chris replied cheerfully, “Yes, sir. Cass said that she has something she wants to ask you.”  
Cass tucked her hair behind her ear nervously and asked, “Could I speak to you in private?”  
Captain Wesker looked inquisitive, and when the sound of gunfire once again filled the air, he gestured for her to follow him. Cass waved goodbye to a confused Joseph, a concerned Chris, and a curious Forest before she followed the captain toward the main building. As they got away from the range, the sound of gunfire faded into the distance. Cass’ head already felt better.  
“What did you want to ask me?”  
“Oh, um… it’s just that… Chief Irons has been… losing his temper with everyone lately. And I haven’t seen his secretary Ben in a while. Maybe someone should check on him and see if he’s okay.”  
“Did you want me to have a talk with the chief?”  
“If you could, that’d be great. You’re probably the only one I’ve seen him listen to.”  
Captain Wesker gave her a reassuring smile and said, “Will do. As for his secretary… I heard some of his friends mention a psychiatric facility. He had been looking haggard lately. I wouldn’t worry too much about him. You should worry more about yourself. How’s that arm feeling?”  
“A lot better, sir. I won’t need the sling in a couple days, but I’m still not allowed to do anything strenuous… perhaps it might be better to go ahead and test Officer Ryman. I don’t want my injury to hold him back.”  
“Officer Ryman was adamant about waiting. I would certainly prefer you being on the team sooner, but if you have second thoughts…”  
“No! No, I want to join, but I didn’t want to hold anyone back.”  
Captain Wesker smiled and replied, “You won’t hold anyone back. Your test results will prove that. Of that I’m certain, Miss Walker. You have potential, and I would hate to see it wasted. I’ll have a discussion with Irons.”  
Cass breathed a sigh of relief and said, “Thank you. I’d appreciate that.”  
The captain raised his hand and gently touched Cass’s hair, taking her by surprise. He showed her a leaf that must have gotten caught in her hair. Certain that she was blushing, she thanked him. With a thoughtful look at the leaf, he replied, “You should probably take a few days off. Get some rest. That might help with your recovery. If you feel like you need more than that, let me know, and I’ll handle it. Though I must admit… the office will be less organized, but that was the natural state of things before your arrival.”  
Cass nodded as she felt her face heat up and thanked him again. With a newfound sense of peace, she walked off to find Chris and tell him that she’d be taking a few days off. She found Chris and Joseph in the S.T.A.R.S. office. They looked up with curiosity as she entered the room.   
“The captain’s given me a few days off, so today will be our last carpool for a while.”  
Chris looked confused then concerned and asked, “Is everything okay?”  
“Yeah… Well, about as well as expected. I realized that I should have taken a break after Jack and I were attacked. It’d be good to have a break… and get my thoughts together.”  
Chris nodded solemnly and led her back out to the hallway. Closing the door softly behind him, he said, “You’re not alone, y’know. Just… call me if you need me. I’ll be there.”  
Cass’ eyes watered, and she wrapped her arms around him, burying her face in his shoulder to hide her tears. She’d been trying to move on. Cass had hoped that if she just pretended that everything was okay then everything would be just fine, but that had been incredibly unrealistic. Chris gently held her as she tried desperately to gather herself.  
“If you want, I’ll give you my keys,” Chris whispered. “You just have to promise to come back for me in a few hours.”  
“I’ll stay,” Cass said stubbornly and wiped away her tears. “I have a lot of work to do before I take time off. Captain Wesker’s doing a lot for me. I don’t want to repay him by leaving him with a heavy workload. Thanks, Chris.”  
Chris reluctantly let her go with a small smile and said, “Okay then.”  
Cass gave him a smile in return before running off to get the office ready for the days without her.


	6. Chapter 6

A shriek woke Cass, and she struggled to stay in the armchair. She had fallen asleep on the couch… again. A vampire on the television chased after a woman before Cass hit the power button with a sigh. She stretched and walked towards her room. Her arm still felt odd even though she didn’t need the cast, and she stretched it one more time. Glancing back to the front door, she briefly wondered if she should just camp out on the couch for the night. Her roommate Joy had left to visit family, but she was supposed to be home by now. She had called Cass to let her know that she’d be there in a couple of hours… about four hours ago according to the living room clock.  
A knot of anxiety settled in Cass’ stomach as she stared at the clock. Maybe Joy had gotten a flat tire. Maybe she’d pulled over to get some rest. Due to the road closures around the Arklay Mountains, it had been quite a trip. Maybe she had just gotten tired from the long drive. Sounds coming from the front door caught Cass’ attention. As someone fumbled with the knob outside, Cass slowly walked over to peek through the nearby window. Joy was fumbling with her keys. With a breath of relief, Cass walked over and opened the door.   
Joy smiled in relief as Cass held the door open. She entered the apartment and explained tiredly, “Sorry, I’m so late… Some weird business happened at a gas station on the way here. I’ll tell you about it in the morning.”   
Cass nodded and closed the door behind Joy. Noting the tiredness in Joy’s voice, Cass decided not to press the issue. After making sure the door was locked, Cass walked to her room and told Joy good night. Collapsing into her bed, Cass grasped her covers before once again falling into an uneasy slumber. The sound of metal banging around in the kitchen woke her. Sunlight now streamed inside from the window.  
Rubbing her eyes, Cass stood up and lazily left her room. Joy looking incredibly frustrated as Cass approached the kitchen.   
“What’s wrong?” Cass asked with a yawn.  
“There’s nothing to eat! Weren’t you supposed to go shopping?!”  
“We talked about this yesterday,” Cass said, giving Joy a confused look. “You said that you wanted me to wait, so we could have a dinner plan for this week. Remember?”  
Joy stared at her for a moment before she calmed down and replied, “Yeah… sorry. I remember. I’m just so hungry… I’m going out to get something. I’ll be back in an hour.”  
Before Cass’ groggy brain could think of something to say, Joy grabbed her keys and walked out the door. Clearly, last night had been stressful for Joy, and Cass knew that she would hear all about it later. For now, she would just let Joy’s outburst go. Cass got into the shower and let the warm water calm her mind. More alert now, she got out of the shower and got dressed.   
The sound of the phone ringing beckoned her to the living room. Hesitating slightly, she picked up the phone and answered it, “Hello?”  
“Miss Walker, how are you doing?”  
“Ah, Captain, I’m doing much better… Is something wrong? Do you need me to come back to work early?”  
The captain chuckled and replied, “No, Miss Walker. Everything is going well. I was wondering if you would like to meet at the shooting range for part of your evaluation. That is… if you’re feeling up to it.”  
“Oh, of course!” Cass said and quickly grabbed a piece of paper to write a note for Joy. “When do you need me to meet you?”  
“Can you be there in an hour?”  
“Yes, sir! I’ll see you then,” Cass replied as she wrote down where she was going.  
“Good. I’ll see you then,” the captain replied and disconnected the call.  
Cass quickly brushed her hair as she searched for her shoes. After finding them underneath the couch, she grabbed her keys and gun case and drove to the shooting range. Looking at her watch, she groaned as she realized how early she was. The captain probably wouldn’t be there for another thirty minutes. She went to grab her gun case but stopped before she even touched it. The last time she’d used it had been the day Jack had been attacked. Gingerly, she opened the case. It was just a gun. No memories bubbled to the surface, and her heart slowed back to a normal rhythm.   
Closing the case, she unbuckled her seatbelt and debated going to the nearby café, but seeing a familiar face made her forget about the café. She got out of her car with the case and waved to Chris. His eyes widened in shock, but then he smiled and walked over.  
“Aren’t you supposed to be resting?” Chris asked jokingly.  
“Captain’s orders,” Cass replied with a laugh. “Captain Wesker asked me to meet him here. For my evaluation.”  
Chris looked uncomfortable, and Cass asked, “Is something wrong?”  
“Uh… well, I was just thinking… doesn’t this all seem a bit rushed? Don’t get me wrong! I think it’ll be awesome to have you on the team… it just seems to be moving really fast. You just got hurt… I don’t want you to get hurt again because you pushed yourself too far too fast,” Chris said as he avoided her eyes and looked down sheepishly.  
“It’s just an eval, Chris,” Cass replied and put a hand on his arm. “It’s likely I won’t even pass this one and maybe not even the next one. Maybe I’ll never be good enough, but I owe it to myself to try. Besides, even if, by some miracle, I do pass, it’ll probably take at least a few weeks just to process the paperwork, and then there’s training and drills. By the time I make it through all of that, I’ll be fighting ready.”  
Chris sighed then gave her a relieved smile. “You’re right… I’m just overreacting.”   
“How’s that any different from normal though?” Cass asked teasingly, and Chris messed up her hair in retaliation. “Hey! Jerk.” Cass tried to sound irritated, but her laugh ruined it.  
Gunshots in the distance caught their attention, and Cass grabbed her case out of the car before following Chris to the field. Captain Wesker was already watching someone fire at a target. Kevin fired at targets in the distance. The captain noticed Chris and Cass and waved them over, and Chris threw Cass an uncertain look before they walked toward the captain. Kevin finished shooting and turned to see them walking towards him. His face brightened with a smile. Cass gave him a wave as he bounded towards them.  
Captain Wesker looked at Kevin with disapproval as Kevin said excitedly, “Hey, Cass, I thought you were taking a break.”  
“I am. I’m just here to start the evaluations.”  
“I figured,” Kevin said with an irritated look toward the captain. “He said that I have to qualify… again. We all know it’s not my abilities that fail me.”  
“No,” Wesker said with a look down at the paperwork. “That would be your personality.”  
Chris let out a chuckle, and Kevin glared at him in return. Cass met the captain’s eyes. He gave her a small grin which she returned.  
“Okay, Officer Ryman. That concludes your testing for today. You may leave for now. I’ll contact you for the next round of testing.”  
Kevin smirked and said with a wink, “See you later, Cass.”  
Chris put his hand on Cass’ shoulder and said, “Good luck. I’ll be here when you get done, okay?”  
“Okay,” Cass responded and watched nervously as Chris walked away.   
“Punctual,” the captain said with an approving look. “I like that. Shall we get started?”  
Cass nodded and quickly put together her gun. Captain Wesker set up more targets, and Cass got to work. At first she was nervous, but after the first few shots, the gun once again felt familiar in her hands. She finished feeling good about her work, and by the look the captain gave her, she could tell that she had done a good job. She took out one of her earplugs to listen to his thoughts.  
“Well done,” the captain said before looking at her thoughtfully. “However… you won’t be using that gun in the field.”  
Cass looked at him confused as he pulled out his gun. He held it out to her for her to take. Hesitantly, she took it from his hands after turning on her gun’s safety and setting it on the table. After listening to his careful instruction, she put her earplug back in her ear and shot the gun. The recoil was much stronger than her gun, but she’d grown up with a police instructor for a dad and knew how to handle it. The bullet tore through the target, and even at her current distance she could tell that it had taken off more of the target than her own pistol.  
The captain smiled in approval as she handed him back his gun. Cass quickly took apart her gun and put it back into the case. As she stood up, she noticed a small pressure on her shoulder. The captain had placed one of his hands on her shoulder and said, “Atta girl. I’ll see you when you come back to work.”  
Cass nodded her head, and the captain gave her a gentle smile before he walked away. She turned to find Chris, gently touching where the captain’s hand had been.


	7. Chapter 7

Cass got out of the car and started walking up the stairs, humming a song as she got her keys ready. Chris had invited her over for dinner. She just needed to feed her fish and drop off her gun before heading to his house. Joy’s boyfriend’s car was in the parking garage, so Cass felt less bad about leaving for dinner. No doubt Joy would want some alone time with her boyfriend anyway.   
Carefully sliding in the key, Cass opened the door and quietly crept through before shutting it behind her. The light was on in Joy’s room, so Cass quickly walked to her bedroom door. She heard moans from Joy’s room. Embarrassed, she quickly opened her door and tucked her gun into her safe. As she exited her room, she heard a sound that made her pause. She could have sworn she’d heard gurgling.   
Hesitantly knocking on the door, she asked awkwardly, “Hey, is everyone okay?”  
There was a loud thump. It sounded like someone had hit the ground hard. Cass quickly opened the door and stood horrified by what was inside. Joy’s boyfriend laid on the bed covered in blood. Parts of his chest had been ripped off, and his eyes stared blankly at the ceiling. Joy’s body was on the floor beside the bed with her neck twisted at a horrifying angle. Cass felt the urge to throw up, but that went away as Joy’s dead eyes moved and focused on Cass.   
A crackling sound erupted from Joy as she clumsily stood up. Cass quickly slammed the door. She held it closed as she heard a banging from the other side of the door. After realizing that Joy wasn’t making any attempts to turn the doorknob, Cass ran for the phone. Dialing 911, she looked around for something to put in front of the door.   
“911, what’s your emergency?” the operator asked.  
“There’s something wrong with my roommate!” Cass said breathlessly as she pushed the bookcase in front of Joy’s door. “I came home… I heard some weird noises from her room, and he’s dead. Her boyfriend is dead. I’ve got her trapped in the room, but you need to send people! Something’s wrong with her… She’s sick! Rabies maybe?” Cass knew this wasn’t rabies, but she wanted to make sure the officers took precautions. Joy’s eyes reminded Cass of the dogs’ when they attacked Jack. She didn’t want this to spread.  
“Your address?”  
Cass gave the operator her address as the wooden door splintered, and Joy’s hand popped through. Cass let out an involuntary shriek and dodged the flailing limb.   
“What’s happening now? Does she have a weapon?”  
“I don’t think so. She just bashed through the door with her hands. Please hurry! I don’t know how much longer I can keep her in there.”  
“Officers are on their way to your location. Please stay on the phone.”  
Cass put the phone on speaker as she moved more furniture in front of the door. Joy let out an inhuman scream.   
“Perhaps you should wait outside for the officers,” the operator said uncertainly.   
“I will… after I make sure she’s stuck. I can’t have her attacking people. She’s not in her right mind,” Cass answered as she took a second to catch her breath. “Okay… I’m pretty sure she’s stuck for a little while. I’ll go outside.”  
“Good.”  
Cass grabbed the phone and quickly walked out the front door, peeking down the hall before she shut the door. She could feel a knot in her stomach as she locked the door behind her. Joy’s screams were now muffled. But even though the danger was farther away, Cass couldn’t help but feel dread. Sirens made her look up, and a familiar face ran toward her with worry in his eyes.  
“You okay?!” Kevin asked before gently guiding her towards his cop car. Officers raced past him to Cass’ door. “We’ve been told to keep back but evacuate the building. They’ve got ‘special units’ on their way. You aren’t hurt, are you?”  
“No, I’m not hurt,” Cass said, noticing the tremor in her own voice. Taking a breath, she asked, “By ‘special units’, do they mean S.T.A.R.S.?”  
“Don’t think so. I heard Chief Irons refer to them as a ‘clean-up unit’… whatever that means. Come on…” Kevin said and opened the car door. “They want to speak to you at the station.”  
“Okay,” Cass said tiredly and got into the car.  
Cass looked out the window as they drove to the precinct. She realized that she was probably in shock considering how detached she felt. For once, Kevin kept quiet. It was so unlike him that Cass glanced over to check on him. He was looking forward at the road; his face fell into a serious grimace that, in Cass’ opinion, didn’t suit him.   
“Are you okay?” Cass asked, and he glanced at her in shock before laughing. “What’s so funny?”  
“Sorry… just a bit weird for you to ask me that in this situation,” Kevin replied with an awkward laugh. “Just thinking about how everything seems to be going… haywire. Makes me wonder if something else is going on… but maybe I’m just being paranoid.”  
Cass nodded and went back to looking out the window. Sirens blared as more cop cars blazed down the road toward Cass’ apartment. Leaning back into the seat, she closed her eyes and tried to relax. After failing to do so, she tensed when the car came to a complete stop in the parking garage.  
“We’re here,” Kevin said tiredly. “But… if you want to just sit here for a few minutes, I wouldn’t mind.”  
Cass sighed and replied, “No. I’d rather just get all of this out of the way now. Thanks, Kevin.”  
“No problem,” Kevin muttered, running a hand through his hair. “Just… if you need someone to talk to… or even if you just want someone to talk to… Just know that I’m here, okay?”  
Cass put a hand on his arm and smiled while she said, “Thank you.”  
Kevin returned the smile, and Cass got out of the car. She took a deep breath before walking into the police building. With a groan, she noticed that Chief Irons was waiting outside and immediately focused on her as she walked through the gate. She should have used the back entrance. The chief strode up to her with a strange, nervous energy and said hastily, “I’m glad you’re safe. Not injured, are you?”  
“No, sir,” Cass replied with hesitation and noticed he looked considerably more relieved.  
“Good, good,” the chief muttered, wiping sweat from his brow. “There seems to be some kind of rabies going around. Just want to make sure it doesn’t spread around. There’s a doctor waiting inside for you. You should go see him.”  
“A doctor? I just said that I’m not hurt. Don’t you need to contact the CDC before you start making decisions?”  
Anger flared up in the chief’s eyes, and he grabbed her arm menacingly. He growled, “Don’t you order me around, girl! I am doing what is best—!”  
“Irons!” a voice said in a commanding tone. Captain Wesker walked up to them with a relaxed stride, but there was anger in his voice. “Don’t you have other matters to attend to? I will accompany Miss Walker.”  
Irons must have sensed the danger as he let go of Cass and fled the scene while muttering under his breath. The captain gently placed his hand on her back and guided her through the police station. Even though people clearly wanted to talk to Cass, they walked away under the stare of the captain. Leading her to an empty room, he closed the door behind them and led Cass to a chair, which she sat in graciously.   
“I would like to apologize on the chief’s behalf. He shouldn’t have treated you so roughly,” Captain Wesker said, taking off his glasses and examining her arm. “I’ll make sure someone has a talk with him.”  
“Thank you, Captain,” Cass replied with a grateful smile. “I’m sure I’ll be fine though.”  
“Even so…” Captain Wesker said with a sigh. “But you truly should see the doctor before you leave.”  
“I’ve never been good with doctors… or needles,” Cass admitted, giving Wesker a sheepish look.  
Captain Wesker knelt down to her eye level and asked, “Do you think you could do it as a favor to me? I’d really appreciate having you back at work and in good health as soon as possible. After all… the state of Chris’ desk has to be seen to be believed.”  
Cass gave him a small laugh and agreed, “Okay then. I’ll brave it for you, Captain.”  
“Much appreciated.”  
“But there is one thing… no, maybe not.”  
“Please. I’d like to hear your thoughts.”  
“Well, it’s not like I have a lot of medical knowledge, but… rabies doesn’t make you eat people, right? She didn’t just bite him. She was eating him… And her eyes… that didn’t look like rabies to me. It looked like… whatever was wrong with those dogs.”  
She had started shaking. Keeping the tears from falling, she looked away from the captain, embarrassed to show weakness in front of him, but he held her hand in his and gave her a worried smile.  
“Miss Walker… that is a very astute observation. I will look into this matter. You have my word, but let’s keep this between us. We don’t want the chief to get worked up now, do we?” Captain Wesker asked, and Cass shook her head. “Very well. Now… let’s get you to that doctor.”


	8. Chapter 8

Cass could still feel the sting on her arm from where the doctor had taken some of her blood. Doctor Birkin had seemed nice, and Cass had been surprised at how well he got along with the captain. If she didn’t know any better, she’d have thought they were old friends. As she excused herself from the office, she contemplated how she was going to get home… or rather when she could even go home. The only news she’d heard was that Joy had been taken to a hospital out of state. They would need more time to process her apartment. Probably to make sure it wasn’t contaminated, Cass thought with a sigh.  
“CASS!”   
Chris’ voice shook her from her thoughts, and soon she was in his arms.   
“You’re okay, right?” Chris asked and held her close.   
Returning the hug with misty eyes, Cass whispered, “Of course, I am, you dolt. Just who do you think I am?”  
That got a small laugh out of Chris, but although he relaxed, he didn’t let go.  
“I should have gone with you. I should’ve been there.”  
“Oh… so you’re psychic now?” Cass asked and gently pushed him back to look in his eyes. “Chris… you couldn’t have known that was going to happen. And I’m fine. Or at least I will be. I’m here and unhurt, and more importantly I’m not alone. You don’t have to always be the hero.”  
“Because you’re already the hero?” Chris asked with a small smile.  
“Of course. Well, I’m glad someone respects me and all the work I do around here… Let’s get some dinner, okay?” Cass asked hoping to change the topic, and Chris’ mood lightened. Truthfully, Cass wasn’t hungry, but she knew that Chris would be. She could force down a few bites to ease his worry.  
“Ah, Chris.” The captain had left the room followed by Dr. Birkin. The doctor gave Cass a wave before leaving as the captain seemed to be deep in thought. “Chris, why don’t you take tomorrow off? Make sure our friend here is okay.”  
“Yes, sir,” Chris replied quickly. “Come on, Cass. You can stay at my place tonight. I already cleaned up the place.”  
“By ‘cleaned’ do you mean stuffed everything in a closet?” Cass eyed Chris as Captain Wesker hid a smile.  
“Hey now… let’s not focus on the negative. Getting something to eat was a great idea, so let’s start with that. I’ll go ahead and pull the car around back. Give me a few minutes before you meet me, okay?”  
“Okay.” Cass gave the captain a knowing smile as Chris began walking to the stairs. “Thank you, Captain.”  
The captain tilted his head in confusion and said, “I don’t believe I did anything more than necessary, but you’re welcome.”  
“You helped me with the chief, and you listened to me. I hope I’m wrong. I hope Joy is okay, but… thanks for listening.”  
Captain Wesker nodded with a smile and offered, “Would you like for me to accompany you? I suspect the chief is already speaking with the media.”  
“Ah, yes, if you don’t mind.”  
The captain opened the door for her, and they walked down the staircase together. Reporters could be heard asking the chief about the incident. Cass stiffened and froze for a moment, but the captain gently nudged her to walk beside him, which would block her from view. She obliged and let out a sigh of relief as they exited the back of the building unnoticed. Chris wasn’t there yet. No doubt he’d been harassed in the building or the parking lot on his way.  
“I do have a question… if you don’t mind me prying.”  
Cass looked at the captain with surprise but answered, “No, sir. I don’t mind.”  
“You and Chris seem very close, and you hold him in such high esteem. I was curious about how you two met. I heard that you two are childhood friends, but he isn’t from this area. But you went to school here, and you were working for the animal control unit before S.T.A.R.S. was even founded. Was it just luck that brought you together again?”  
“Uh, I’d guess so. We were neighbors when we were kids, and then my dad got a job as an instructor at the academy, and that’s when we moved here. As for how we met… I suppose that might have something to do with how I ‘hold him in such high esteem’.”  
“How so?”  
“Well, we’d just moved to the area, and I snuck off into the woods. Probably trying to find a new pet or pest to bring home. A log I was standing on was rotted causing me to fall and hurt my ankle. I remember freaking out. Wondering if I would need to crawl back home… when he suddenly appeared. He carried me home, and we became best friends,” Cass said with a smile before continuing thoughtfully. “Honestly, I’m incredibly grateful to Barry. We’d lost contact after he got out of the army, and I doubt I would have ever seen him again if not for Chris joining S.T.A.R.S. That’s why I’m more than happy to help you guys out however I can.”  
“Hmm. How lucky.” The captain’s voice sounded strange for a moment before he gave her a reassuring smile. “I hate to tell you this, but it would be in his best interest if you kept your suspicions between us. Chris is… not known for strictly following protocol. He may do or say something that puts him in danger. Even though I am the captain of S.T.A.R.S., he is the chief of police. I may not be able to help him if he does something drastic.”  
A cold chill went up Cass’ spine, and she quickly agreed, “I won’t tell him anything. Besides, you already said that you would look into it. If anyone can find something, it would be you, sir.”  
The captain pat her on the head gently before heading back inside as Chris’ car approached. Cass touched her head tentatively before getting into the car. Chris gave her a curious look. While Cass felt bad already about keeping a secret from Chris, she also knew about his cowboy cop tendencies.  
“Is something wrong?” she asked keeping her cool.  
“Just… he treats you differently. That’s all.”  
“Differently? How? Oh, well, he still calls me ‘Miss Walker’ even though he’s known me the same amount of time he’s known you… I think he just feels sorry for me if anything.”  
“He calls us squad members by our first names but not really anyone else. Truthfully, I always thought it was to keep focus on our job. I’ve never seen him doing anything aside from work, and no friends have ever come by to visit him… but I may be overthinking it. After all, you’ve had it tough lately… and that’s putting it lightly.”   
“Yeah,” Cass murmured and looked out the window. Maybe she was cursed. Everyone around her seemed to be getting hurt or ill. Glancing back at Chris, she noticed his brow furrowed in concentration. Suddenly his eyebrows shot upward, and an excited look spread over his face.   
“We’ve got an entire day to recuperate tomorrow, and I’ve got an awesome idea.”  
“It’s not the waterpark, is it?”  
“Hey! I thought you loved the waterpark.”  
“When we were eight, I loved the waterpark. You talked about it last year too… and I said no.”  
“You never said why,” Chris said defensively in a hurt tone. “I thought maybe you just didn’t want to go with a bunch of guys.”  
“That too,” Cass retorted playfully.  
“Well then, missy. What do you want to do?”  
“Well, right now I want to get a burger.”  
“I can get behind that,” Chris agreed as he noticed a drive thru. “But what about tomorrow? Do you just want to stay inside all day?”  
“Don’t judge me for my introvert tendencies.” Cass narrowed her eyes at Chris, but he just laughed in response.  
“I just think… it’s been a long time since the two of us did something together.”  
“We just went to a Fourth of July celebration together.”  
“Just the two of us,” Chris corrected himself with a slight reddening of his cheeks. “It used to be just the two of us… and sometimes Claire.”  
“And sometimes you left us for Autumn…”  
“That was one time! Maybe twice,” Chris admitted bashfully. “And I already admitted that was dumb of me. How long are you going to hold that against me?”  
“I’ll let it go after your eulogy,” Cass said with a smirk. “Ditching me for my sister. That was a low blow, man.”  
“Okay, I get it. I made a terrible mistake. Will you please forgive me?”  
“Sure,” Cass said breezily. “But I know what we’re doing tomorrow.”  
“Oh, cool. What?”   
“You’ll find out tomorrow.” Chris gave her a mock frustrated look, and Cass laughed.  
After they picked up their food, Chris focused on the drive to his house while Cass looked out the window. A warm feeling made her feel lighter, and it wasn’t the hot food in her lap. She wondered how despite going to an unfamiliar place she could feel so at home.


	9. Chapter 9

The sun blazed down on Cass unforgivingly. Chris had wandered off to get them some water, so Cass waited by the lion enclosure for him to return. The male lion yawned before lying on the cool cement with a sigh.  
“Me too, buddy,” Cass whispered with a sigh of her own before wiping her forehead.  
Briefly wondering where they should go next, she wandered over to the map. If they stayed on this path, they’d see the elephants next, but if they went back, they could check out the lakeside area with alligators which would lead to a terrarium. They had enough time to go everywhere, but Cass wasn’t sure she had the stamina.  
She looked back over to the lion enclosure to see what appeared to be a handyman looking at the lions with a small smile. She’d seen him working on the water fountains nearby with a gloomy look on his face. No wonder. She’d hate to be working out in this heat. He noticed her looking at him, and she gave him a little friendly wave. He scowled before getting back to work.  
“Hey, Cass!” Chris shouted, and Cass turned to see him walking toward her with a drink in each hand.  
She met him halfway taking one of the drinks and asked, “What do you want to see next?”  
“Honestly, an air-conditioned room,” Chris admitted with a smirk. “But I do want to see the gators before we go.”  
“Sounds good,” Cass replied with relief and led the way back. She would have braved the rest of the zoo if Chris had wanted, but she was happy to leave. Eyeing Chris with suspicion, she wondered if he was leaving early because of her. He didn’t look that winded.  
“We could go to the Elephant Restaurant afterwards,” Chris piped up. “But... the entrance to that is the other way… There should be another entrance we could drive to.”  
“Well, if even if there isn’t, I’m sure we can find something.” Cass slowed as they neared the bridge over the lake towards the terrarium.  
The sunlight glittered off the water, hiding the danger lurking under the surface. Cass felt a chill as she noticed reptilian eyes slowly disappear under the surface. Chris excitedly jogged over to the railing. He pointed out an alligator basking on some nearby rocks, and Cass gave him a half-hearted smile. Despite his excitement, he noticed something was off.  
“What’s wrong? I thought the animal whisperer loved all animals,” Chris said jokingly. “Or are you not feeling well?”  
“No… it’s just… I had a bad experience with an alligator before.”  
Chris looked pensively at the lake before asking in a low voice, “Do you want to talk about it?”  
“No… not really,” Cass said and brushed her hair out of her face.  
A hand wrapped around hers, and she looked up to see Chris giving her a small smile.  
“That’s okay,” Chris said gently. “Let’s go. I’m hungry anyways. Could eat a whole elephant.”  
Cass gave him a side look but chuckled soon after. “Okay, let’s go then.”  
Chris led the way with a vibrant energy. Cass smiled with relief; he seemed to want to leave just as much as she did. He led the way to the exit while chatting animatedly about what Joseph, Forest, and he had been up to since she’d been gone. Cass listened intently as they walked to the car.  
“Oh, hey there, friends!” a familiar voice shouted, and Chris dropped his story and Cass’ hand.  
Kevin sauntered up to them with a kid on his shoulders, and noticing Cass’ confused expression, he explained, “My nephew wanted to see the elephants. Just waiting for my sis to pick up the squirt.”  
The boy shouted excitedly, “I got to see the elephants and the lions and the hyenas!”  
Cass chuckled and replied with a smile, “Sounds like a good day.”  
“It was!” the boy answered happily with a weary smile.  
A car pulled up, and Kevin gestured for them to wait a moment. After putting the boy into the car, Kevin said something to his sister and glanced over to Cass and Chris. He looked slightly embarrassed as his sister gave Cass a super friendly look. He tapped the car and said goodbye as his sister waved at them.  
With a goofy grin, Kevin walked back to them and said, “Older siblings, right?”  
Cass smiled as Chris rolled his eyes.  
“You guys going anywhere after this?” Kevin asked cheerfully. “I know a great bar, and the owner’s a cool guy.”  
“We were thinking about trying the Elephant Restaurant,” Cass replied with a glance at Chris. “Would you like to meet us there?”  
“Oh! Uh, sure! I’ll just pull around the side and meet you guys there!” Kevin said excitedly with a flushed face.  
Cass turned to Chris as Kevin ran for his car. Chris quickly tried to hide a pout, but she’d already caught him.  
“What’s wrong, Chris? You don’t want to go there anymore?”  
“No… no. It’s just… nothing,” Chris said with a sigh.  
“That doesn’t sound like nothing,” Cass said, crossing her arms. “What’s wrong? Are you not feeling well?”  
Chris looked embarrassed as he led her to the car. After they got inside the car, Cass noticed a slight blush on Chris’ face. He hid it behind his hands before looking at her sheepishly.  
“It was a… stupid thought. It’s just… I kind of wanted today to be like old times. Just you and me… but that’s a bit… dumb.”  
“Yeah… after all, it can’t be like old times. Claire isn’t here… Hey, maybe he can be our replacement Claire for a while.”  
Chris laughed and replied jokingly, “Claire’s been working out.”  
“Clearly,” Cass replied with a smirk. “Hey, it’ll only be for a little bit, and we were going there anyway. I promise, after we leave the restaurant, we can go rent a couple movies, and then it’ll be just you and me. Is that good for you?”  
Chris smiled at her before putting the car in drive and said, “Sounds great to me.”  
Cass buckled her seatbelt as Chris started driving behind Kevin’s car. They followed his car to a separate parking lot for the restaurant. Cass noticed a sign of an elephant over the restaurant and knew they were in the right place.  
Kevin was waiting inside when they got into the restaurant. He waved nervously as they approached, but soon Chris and Kevin were discussing baseball as they waited for a table. A waitress appeared with a smile and showed them to a booth. Cass watched them with interest as they continued discussing different games that would be on tv soon. They noticed Cass quietly watching and looked embarrassed.  
“Sorry, this probably isn’t that interesting to you,” Kevin said apologetically.  
“Quite the contrary,” Cass replied with a wink. “I played softball for three years in high school. And besides… I really like listening to people talk about things they’re passionate about. Don’t be afraid to discuss something because you think I’ll find it ‘boring’.”  
“Softball, huh? Played for Raccoon City?”  
“For three long years.”  
“You never told me about that,” Chris said with a slight pout.  
“Because I didn’t really have much fun. I just did it because my dad wanted me to… I was decent at it. Not great but I could at least keep up with the team. I prefer watching the games to be honest.”  
Kevin laughed and said, “That’s great. Hey, I got a buddy who sometimes gets free tickets for our city’s team. If I get some tickets, I’ll let you guys know.”  
“That’d be great,” Cass replied as Chris nodded happily.  
Kevin grinned and went back to talking about different players with Chris as Cass took a look at the menu. After placing their orders, the restaurant owner changed the tv station to a racing channel. Cars whizzed past on the screen, and Kevin and Chris became engrossed in watching until the food arrived.  
Kevin and Chris continued talking about different sports as Cass listened in. Chris was much more relaxed now, and even Kevin seemed more comfortable. Cass briefly wondered why they hadn’t gotten along before now.  
“Ah, Cass, I just remembered something. One of my buddies from the police academy wants to come to Raccoon City. He’s still got some time before he graduates, but I was hoping you’d like to meet him. He’s not as charming as yours truly, but I think he’s pretty great. Anyway, he’s not really from around here, so I was hoping to introduce him to some people.”  
“I’d love to meet him. It’d be great to get some tips on how to deal with you,” Cass said with a smirk. “What’s his name?”  
“Leon Kennedy. He’s a nice guy. He won’t be done for a few more months, but I’m sure he’ll be happy to know he won’t be alone when he gets here.”  
Kevin gave her a beaming smile before continuing his conversation with Chris. Cass took a sip of water and allowed herself to relax. With a small smile she listened to the conversation, and for the first time in a while, she felt completely safe.


	10. Chapter 10

A man screamed at the new recruits to hurry as Cass watched from the stands. She used her towel to wipe sweat from her brow before standing to find the showers. She’d been sent to the police academy to take some more tests, including a few on paper and a few that were far more active. Her shoulder felt strained, but she was sure that she had done well on those tests at least. Now she just needed to get home to ice her shoulder. She had one more day of “relaxation” before she needed to go back to work.  
Taking a sip of water, she started walking towards the ladies’ showers when a familiar voice made her turn. An old family friend waved in the distance. Cass jogged to meet him with a smile.   
“Good to see you here. How’s your father doing?” Mr. Whiteford asked, clutching his cane for support.  
“He’s doing well. Plenty of sun in Florida… but mostly rain.”  
The old man chuckled and replied, “They don’t really put that part on the brochures, do they?”  
“No, sir.”  
“Well, I do remember him mentioning a position in his city’s animal control opening up. You sure about joining S.T.A.R.S.? It would be much safer… and the pay isn’t bad.”  
“Sounds like you spoke to him recently yourself.”  
“Guilty as charged… but he is worried for your safety. Lots of strange… things happening here. And you’ve been caught up right in the middle. Wouldn’t blame you if you chose to leave.”  
“I have no intention of leaving Raccoon City,” Cass replied stubbornly. “And it’s exactly because I’ve been in the middle of it. It’s dangerous there, but I want to do all I can.”  
“Hm,” Mr. Whiteford nodded approvingly. “Well, just let me know if there’s anything I can do to help you. I owe your old man that much at least.”  
“Um… well, there is something,” Cass replied sheepishly, glancing towards the students running around the track. “Have you heard of a recruit named Leon Kennedy? I’m just curious… No need to worry if you don’t. He’s a friend of a friend.”  
“A friend of a friend, you say…” Mr. Whiteford stared at her with piercing blue eyes before chuckling. “That young man over there. Mr. Leon Scott Kennedy.”  
Cass followed his glance to see a crowd of men joking around after the instructor had left. In the middle of the group was a young man who caught her attention. He smiled at the others in a self-assured way before excusing himself from the group. She quickly turned back to Mr. Whiteford to see him looking at her quizzically.  
“Interesting… Mr. Kennedy intends to transfer to Raccoon City despite the danger… or rather because of it.”  
Cass raised her eyebrow at Mr. Whiteford, and he gave her an amused smile in return.  
“I think you two would get along rather well… Would you like to meet him before you leave?”  
“No! Um, no thank you, sir. I… uh… um, just was curious about what kind of person he is. That’s all. My friend thinks rather highly of him. But… I should probably head for the showers. I’ve got a long drive home ahead of me. It was nice seeing you, sir.”  
“Likewise,” Mr. Whiteford said with a smirk as Cass quickly headed for the showers.   
Finding a shower in the corner, Cass took off her clothes and turned on the water. After the initial shock of cold water hitting her skin, she turned the knob for warmer water. She relaxed as she washed the sweat from her body.  
“What about Kevin?” a voice echoed from the other side of the shower, causing Cass to tense.  
“Ryman? Eugh. No. I mean, he’s got a nice face… and body. But he’s such a slacker. No, I do like his friend though. Leon’s cute, and he’s got this ‘dependable vibe’ thing. Besides… everyone knows Kevin has a crush on that secretary. He non-stop talked about her to Leon when he came by to take his evals or something.”  
“Doesn’t Leon have a girlfriend?”  
“What?! No way!”  
“Yep. I saw a girl bring him lunch one day. They were really friendly. Besides… why do you want to transfer to Raccoon City anyways? It’s a cesspool. I even heard that there are girls going missing. On top of all those animal attacks.”  
“It’s not that bad… Chief Irons says they’re taking care of it. Plus there are lots of people going missing, Karen. Not just girls. Probably has something to do with the rabid dogs. As long as I stay in the city, I’ll be fine.”  
“I’m not talking about hobos living off the grid or hikers exploring the wilderness, Stacy. I’m talking pretty blonde women suddenly not showing up for work the next day. There’s something really fishy going on.”  
Cass quickly finished washing up as she tried to block out the conversation. Turning off the water, she grabbed her sweaty clothes and booked it to her locker. She tossed the clothes into a gym bag and changed into her other outfit. As she turned to leave, she briefly wondered what secretary they’d been talking about. Kevin hadn’t mentioned anyone to her, but then again, he might be different around his guy friends. Maybe he thought Cass would get jealous. Cass tried to disguise her chuckle as a cough as she walked out of the locker room.  
“Oh, hey,” Leon said with a wave as Cass stared at him in confusion. “Mr. Whiteford asked me to ‘accompany’ you to your car.”  
“Oh, did he?” Cass asked with barely hidden malice. That conniving old man. But this could be good. After all, she was curious to see what kind of person this possible new recruit was. “Well, thank you. I appreciate it. My name’s Cass Walker… but I suppose he already told you.”  
Leon gave her a smile and replied, “Nothing wrong with an introduction. I’m Leon Kennedy. Mr. Whiteford’s just looking out for you, even though I’d say you can handle yourself. I saw your shooting skills. Not bad at all… You’re Kevin’s friend, right?”  
“Yes,” Cass replied with a side glance at Leon, and she started walking toward the parking lot. Kevin didn’t need to worry about this one making friends. From what Cass could see Leon would be far more suited to hanging out with the other officers at the station.  
Leon kept her pace and asked excitedly, “So you’re applying for S.T.A.R.S. too?!”  
“Yes.”  
Leon chuckled, and Cass stopped in her tracks to give him a look.  
“Sorry, you’re just exactly like he said.”  
“And what did he say?”  
“Ah,” Leon looked away nervously. “Nothing bad… Just you come off a bit… frosty. But he said lots of good things too! I swear!”  
“Uh huh,” Cass said and picked up her pace. “Nice meeting you, Mr. Kennedy.”  
“Nice meeting you, too, Miss Walker,” Leon said with fake formality before laughing. Cass hesitated as he held out a hand to her. “Truce? For the moment at least? I’m not even a rookie yet. Please have mercy.”  
Despite her irritation, she felt a small smile creep onto her face as she took his hand and gave it a firm shake. “Truce. For the moment.”  
“You’re so gracious,” Leon snarked with a grin. “I’ll buy you a drink when I get transferred to Raccoon City to finalize our pact of friendship.”  
“You’re old enough to buy alcohol?”  
“Hey! I just turned twenty-one this year. You can’t be much older.”  
“Twenty-two,” Cass replied with a grin. “Older than you, youngster.”  
“Wow, you’re practically ancient.”  
“Ha ha,” Cass snarked in return as she spotted her car. “It was nice meeting you, Leon. Really… I guess I’ll see you after your graduation.”  
“First names now?”  
“Don’t push it, brat.”  
Leon laughed good-naturedly and leaned against one of the stone columns with a confident smile. “Bye for now, Cass. I’ll make good on that promise for a drink.”  
“You better,” Cass retorted and started walking to her car. After a pause, she turned back around to ask Leon, “If you don’t mind me asking… why do you want to come to Raccoon City anyway? I’ve heard the other recruits talking about it. One of them called Raccoon City a ‘cesspool’. I’m sure there are better places looking for recruits, so why Raccoon City?”  
Leon rustled his hair before responding, “Don’t officers go where they’re needed? And what place needs me more? Besides, there are plenty of good, honest people there. Don’t they deserve someone willing to fight for them? All those attacks… I don’t think it’s the end of them, despite what Chief Irons says. I just… I want my work to have meaning. What about you? Isn’t it the same for you?”  
Cass nodded with a smile. “Yes… that’s exactly it. I look forward to working with you.”  
She turned back around and got inside her car. After she backed out of the spot, she noticed Leon giving her a wave. She returned it and drove to the exit. She hadn’t asked Leon about the secretary, but Cass assumed Kevin would tell her some time. Besides, it wasn’t really any of her business. Her shoulder ached from the exercises. She’d go back to Chris’ place and ice it. Her apartment had just been cleaned the other day, but she still wasn’t sure if she could go back inside it just yet. The thought of opening the front door put her on edge. Even if the place was put back together, there was no way she could relax there.   
With a sigh she turned onto the highway and began the long journey back to the city.


	11. Chapter 11

The wind hit Cass' face as she opened the door to the rooftop. Today it was relatively cool, especially for the middle of July, and she decided to enjoy her lunch alone. It was her first day back at work. Everyone had been kind for the most part, but there were some nosy people asking probing questions. With Alpha Team off investigating a disappearance, she'd decided that it would be best to make herself scarce. For her own peace of mind at least.  
There were benches up here, but people rarely used them, especially in the summer. She took a seat on one of them and opened her lunch bag. Enjoying the sounds of the nearby birds, she took a bite of her sandwich. She made a mental note to come back up here in the autumn. The view was beautiful. No wonder the chief had his own part of the roof to himself. She sighed peacefully as the wind picked up.  
Her first day back had gone well so far. Most of her coworkers had been quite sympathetic, and someone had even left flowers on her old desk. The flowers had since been relocated to Chris' and Forest's desk after Cass had cleared the files and paperwork. Now she just needed to finish putting them in order. That wouldn't take too long. She had her thirty-minute break then she'd go finish her task. Maybe she'd be done before Alpha Team returned.  
She finished her sandwich and reached back to her bag when she heard the Chief's voice from nearby. Quickly grabbing her lunch bag, she descended the outside, taking care to remain out of sight. After her last run-in with the chief, she definitely didn't want to be alone with him. Ducking out of sight, she waited for him to leave. He argued with someone on the phone from right above her.  
"What about if that reporter finds out about the orphanage?" Chief Irons said in an angry, low tone that Cass could just barely hear. "I'm the one that'll be thrown under the bus, doctor. I'm the one who was 'in charge' of that place. If I go down… you can bet I won't be the only one."  
The chief went quiet. Cass briefly considered her options. There was a door, but the ones leading to the roof were known for being loud. Plus she kind of wanted to hear more. She waited as the chief agreed with the person on the phone.  
"Yes… yes. I understand. And you're sure Umbrella took care of those children… That's good. Children are carriers of disease. No doubt that it would have spread quickly. I understand the necessity… Dr. Birkin, but I just want to make sure things are truly running smoothly. I've done more than my fair share. The S.T.A.R.S. members are starting to get suspicious. Something needs to be done about them… before they can trace your experiments back to me. There were bugs in my office! Unless you planted them there, that means someone is onto us. Yes, I know. Okay, but I expect that to be dealt with soon or else I will drag you to prison with me!"  
The chief was completely silent for a few moments, and Cass stayed as still as a statue. She relaxed as she heard the chief cursing under his breath. He was getting further away. The sound of the door opening was faint, but she heard the door close with certainty. Considering which door she should use to avoid running into him, she froze as a creak alerted her from above. The footsteps stopped right above her. She pushed herself back against the wall as she kept her breathing as quiet as possible until she heard the footsteps walking back to the door. The sound of the door shutting echoed as she decided which way to go.  
After waiting a few more minutes, she noticed the ladder leading to the ground floor. Careful not to make any sounds, she quickly crept to the ladder and slid down using the sides. It made an odd creak as she slid, but she just made a mental note to get someone to check it out later. No one really used that ladder anyway. She was sure it could wait a week or so.  
Luckily, the gate was open on the ground floor. Before she went through it, she checked to see if anyone was on the rooftop, but Chief Irons must have gone back inside. With a relieved sigh she started jogging to the back of the police station. It was rare for anyone to use that door, and she knew how to avoid the people doing security checks. No one would even know that she'd been outside. At least she hoped.  
Slowly, she opened the door and closed it quietly behind her. Tossing her lunch bag in the trash, she nonchalantly walked past a couple doors. Everyone was likely out at lunch. A lucky break for her. She jogged up the stairs to the S.T.A.R.S. office carefully closing doors behind her. Her legs felt like jelly as she collapsed into Chris' chair.  
The chief had spoke about the orphanage. It had supposedly been shut down earlier in the year due to the state of the building, but that didn't seem to really be the case. And Umbrella "took care" of the children? From the way the chief had said it, she assumed that didn't mean treating their illness. The name "Dr. Birkin" had stuck in her head. Wasn't he the one who had run those tests on her? A shiver went up her spine, and she could feel herself shaking. Trying to calm herself, she focused on the fact that he hadn't injected her with anything, just took her blood. That didn't really bring her any relief.  
Cass took a deep breath before she tried to remember anything else she'd overheard. Something about bugs in the chief's office and the S.T.A.R.S. getting suspicious of him. Chris hadn't said anything, but would he? If he suspected the chief of being a danger, he wouldn't want to bring her into it. Likewise, she would keep this to herself. If Chris knew what she knew and that she knew, no doubt he'd do something stupid and put himself in danger. If she told anyone, it'd have to be someone discreet. Perhaps a reporter who disliked the chief as much as she did.  
The shaking had stopped. Chris' life possibly depended on her making the exact right moves. The chief was planning something, and even though she doubted that they'd planted the bug, she knew that they'd be blamed for it. A knocking interrupted her thoughts, and she looked up to see Kevin at the door.  
"Someone's at the front desk waiting for you. Said her name was Elza and that she's your cousin. You weren't answering the phone, so I came up to check—uh, let you know."  
"Ah, thanks, Kevin," Cass stood up but felt woozy and grabbed the table for support.  
"Are you okay? You don't look so good… maybe you should take it easy."  
"I'm fine," Cass replied brusquely, and Kevin gave her a wounded puppy look. "Sorry. I'm just… a little tired is all. After I go see her, I'll probably just sit and do paperwork."  
"Just… give me a ring if you need anything, okay?" Kevin asked with pleading eyes.  
"Will do."  
That seemed to placate Kevin as he started walking back to his workroom. She took a deep breath before letting go of the table. Her heart beat a little faster than normal as she walked to the front desk. The chief seemed to still be in his office much to her relief. As she started walking down the main entrance steps, she saw a familiar someone with bright blonde hair waiting irritably by the entrance. Elza noticed her as she descended the last steps and ran forward to throw her arms around Cass. Cass held onto her as Elza gripped her tightly.  
"Can we talk outside?" Elza whispered, and Cass led her out the door and to a more secluded area of the yard. "I heard about your roommate... and the dogs… and your partner. Why didn't I hear about it from you?"  
"Because I didn't want you to worry. How did… ah, right. My dad, right?"  
"He's worried. This place is getting more dangerous by the day. Why don't you just look into the job he's talking about?"  
"Aren't you going to Raccoon University next semester?" Cass retorted with a raised eyebrow.  
"Yeah, but college is different than becoming a S.T.A.R.S. member. That's even more dangerous!"  
"You want to lecture me? Tell me… just how safe is motorcycle racing? I'm not saying that you should quit even though I do worry about your safety. I just have faith that you have the skill, forethought, and knowledge to be as safe as you can be. You know the risks… and you take precautions. And I won't be alone. I have even more partners in S.T.A.R.S. All I'm asking for is a little faith."  
Elza looked away as though trying to come up with a counterargument before she reluctantly uncrossed her arms.  
"Just promise me you'll be careful," she said in a small, vulnerable voice.  
"Only if you make me the same promise, brat," Cass replied outstretching her hand.  
Elza smirked and shook her hand. After Cass promised to call her later, Elza walked to the parking garage. A chill went up her spine as she turned to see the chief staring in her direction. As Cass locked eyes with him, he looked away. Cass rushed back inside and to the safety of the S.T.A.R.S. office.


	12. Chapter 12

A few days had passed without incident, but Cass wasn’t sure if she should feel relaxed or alarmed. The chief hadn’t acted any different toward her. In fact, he mostly just kept to himself. While she felt like she should be wary of this new attitude, it was difficult to keep on guard when everyone else at the station had grown more relaxed. Keeping herself on high alert but trying to look as calm and collected as everyone else around her was starting to become exhausting.  
Standing out as the lone nervous wreck wouldn’t do her any favors, especially when she was trying to do research without anyone knowing. Trying to find a reliable reporter who wouldn’t take her information straight to the chief was easier said than done. She couldn’t risk the chief knowing that she knew, and even if she could find one, it would be hard to get information to the reporter without someone finding out. Reporters were currently kept outside the station. The chief had told the mayor that they were too distracting and that the officers needed to be able to concentrate on doing their best to stop the disappearances.   
Cass assumed the chief had people keeping an eye out at the local news stations as well. Especially the ones where his least favorite reporters worked, which were the ones Cass most wanted to speak to. No doubt the chief also had people watching outside the station too. Making sure no one really knew just how many disappearances there were now.   
Clutching the files carefully in one hand, she used her other hand to check her pocket. The paper was still there. She had the information written on a small piece of paper in invisible ink. That way if it fell out, someone would most likely just think it was a piece of trash and throw it away. An opportunity could come anytime, and she wanted to be ready. No… she needed to be ready. Thoughts of those poor children kept her up at night. Whatever had happened to them… they deserved justice.  
Cass let out a restless sigh as she began walking back up the stairs. There was one reporter she’d had in mind, but she doubted he’d be hanging around here. Ben wasn’t even allowed near the building without an escort. Clearly, the chief viewed him as a threat but not enough to have him “taken care of.” Or perhaps if something happened to Ben, the chief knew he’d be a suspect.   
“Miss Walker, is something wrong?” the captain asked from behind her, nearly causing her to drop the files. She hadn’t even heard the door open.   
“Ah, no, sir,” Cass replied quickly, shuffling the files to keep them from falling. “Just thinking about the test coming up for the qualification… a little nervous is all.”   
Captain Wesker started walking up the stairs towards her with a small smile. Her grip tightened on the paperwork, but she gave him a sheepish smile before continuing up the stairs. She wanted to tell him the whole truth, especially since the captain was already investigating the chief, but she had no idea who could be listening in on their conversation. Chris overhearing would be a disaster. If she could talk to the captain alone somewhere, she could tell him, but that would be distinctly difficult.  
“Nothing for you to be nervous about. I’m sure you’ll do just fine, but… if you would like a private training session, I’d be more than willing to assist you.”  
“Are you sure?!” Cass blurted out before blushing at her outburst. “You have a lot on your plate. I wouldn’t want to bother you.”  
“You would be no bother at all,” the captain replied with a cool confidence and gave her a smile. “I have confidence that you won’t need much training anyway.”  
“Thank you, sir! I’d appreciate it,” she replied excitedly as the captain held the door open for her.  
“You are very welcome. I will have to get back to you with a time and place. Unfortunately, my calendar is chaotic at this time… but you understand.”  
“Yes, sir. I understand,” Cass said as she stepped out into the hallway. She could barely believe her luck.  
“Captain Wesker!” Chief Irons called out from the doorway to his office. “The mayor would like a report from us, and, Miss Walker, would you kindly escort Mr. Bertolucci outside? He seems to have forgotten that he isn’t allowed in here, even with the mayor’s daughter… Ms. Warren, you’re more than welcome to wait in the hall or downstairs if you prefer.”  
The chief was doing his best to pretend he didn’t want to strangle Ben, but Cass could see a vein in the side of his head. Ben gave the chief a disgruntled look in return but said nothing.   
“No,” Ms. Warren said and looked to Ben with a meaningful look. “I don’t mind waiting outside with Ben.”  
The chief quickly hid his irritation with a plastered-on smile and walked back into his office without another word. Cass felt a hand on her shoulder as the captain walked by.  
“Thank you, Cass. I’ll find out soon,” Captain Wesker said in a low voice before following the chief into the office and closing the door softly behind him.  
Cass took a moment to prepare herself before turning back to Ben and Ms. Warren. She gave them a curt smile and said politely, “The exit is this way. Please follow me.”  
“I know the exit very well,” Ben snapped before Ms. Warren put her hand lightly on his arm.  
“Then you should be able to follow me quickly,” Cass replied bluntly.   
Ben made an irritated noise but followed behind her. As they followed Cass down the hallway, her mind raced as she tried to find a good place to pass him the note. Officers walked about the precinct, making that an impossibility. She’d have to wait until they were outside and hope no one noticed or cared. Holding the files with one hand, she used her other hand to fold the piece of paper into a smaller shape.   
“You’re the one who shot the dogs, right? The one from animal control?”  
Cass glared at Ben as Ms. Warren also looked at him with irritation. She kept walking. Getting him out of the precinct was a great idea even if she couldn’t figure out how to pass him the note.  
“Sorry. Probably could have phrased that better. So you know how bad this situation is… and it’s getting worse every day. More people going missing… and your chief! He’s just going to mutter some lies with that sidekick of his, and the mayor will believe him.”  
Cass stopped dead in her tracks and turned around. “Sidekick? Please tell me that you aren’t referring to the captain in that manner. The S.T.A.R.S. team has been working around the clock to keep people safe. You may not like the chief, and that’s fine by me. But don’t you dare talk about the captain or any of the team that way. Especially not in front of me. You got that, Mr. Bertolucci?”  
Ben looked like he had a retort, but Ms. Warren brutally elbowed him with a smile.  
“I’m sorry about that,” she said, and Cass calmed down. “He doesn’t mean to be that way… he just wants to make sure everything that can be done is being done.”  
Cass turned and led them down the stairway in the main lobby before opening the door for them. Ben had, thankfully and finally, shut up. With a final glance to check if anyone was watching, Cass followed them out the door. Ben gave her a curious look when she held out her hand. Catching the hint, he gave her a handshake, and Cass slipped the note into his hand.  
“I’d appreciate it if you would keep out of here. We’re doing our best with what we’re given… and so should you.”  
Ben stealthily pocketed the note and couldn’t suppress a smile. “Nice to meet you… Miss Walker, was it?”  
Cass nodded before she turned to walk back inside the building. Her heart beat in her chest as she tried to look around without being obvious. This was either her luckiest day or the start of her unluckiest one. No one had seemed to notice or care that she’d even been outside. Even the guard at the front was reading a magazine. No wonder Ben had gotten inside the station. Cass felt a small twinge of pity for the guard. Once the mayor left, no doubt there would be hell to pay.   
With a spring in her step, she skipped up the stairs towards the S.T.A.R.S. office. She could at least sleep tonight knowing that she had passed along what she’d overheard. She could tell the captain at their training session together. Everything was starting to look less hopeless. Now her only worry was whether Ben knew how to reveal invisible ink.


	13. Chapter 13

Pain made Cass wince as she moved her arm. Getting off of the hard floor, she ignored the sting in her arm. Darkness shrouded the room as she tried to figure out where she was. Her eyes took a few moments to adjust. The small room was completely unfamiliar and resembled some kind of lab room. Her foot brushed something in the dark, causing her to jump. Luckily, it was just a radio.  
“Hello? Is anyone there?” Cass asked into the radio after noticing that it was already on a channel. The voice she heard respond nearly brought tears of relief to her eyes.  
“Cass,” the captain’s voice came in clear over the radio. “So you’re awake. Good.”  
Chills went up Cass’ spine as she clutched the radio. That had not been what she’d expected to hear from the captain.  
“Where am I? What’s going on?”  
The captain sighed and explained, “Well, unfortunately I ran out of time. I had meant to train you before this, but alas… it wasn’t meant to be. Today is your test day but not for S.T.A.R.S. For something greater. With more… connections.”  
“Sir… what do you mean by that?” Cass asked, praying that this was all part of some elaborate joke.   
“Well, truth be told, I became rather… impressed by you. The other members of S.T.A.R.S. are too brash, too unfocused. You will make a fine subordinate… provided you survive. The others won’t be so lucky. I’ll see to that myself.”  
Her blood ran cold as she pulled the pieces together.   
“You… work for Umbrella. Those experiments on the children… are we the new test subjects?”  
“You know about the orphanage? Hmm. Clever girl. Yes, in a manner of speaking, but not for Umbrella. After this, my work for them is complete. Now… here’s the game. You’ll want to pay attention if you wish to survive. This room is connected to an enclosure for one of our Hunters. After the door opens, I would suggest that you leave the transmitter as it will start to emit a sound. There is a shotgun, a pistol, and ammo hidden inside, which should be more than enough for your purposes. Should you survive until morning, there will be a team to pick you up. Should you not… it was a pleasure knowing you, Cass.”  
“Why are you doing this? You’re our captain… Don’t you even remotely care about us?” Cass asked, hoping that the captain she’d known… that she’d respected hadn’t been just a fabrication.   
“Don’t misunderstand me, my dear. I do hope you survive… but I must ensure that you are fit for your new role. If I didn’t want you to succeed, I wouldn’t have told you as much as I have. This is still an application of sorts, just one with more severe consequences for failure. Take care and good luck.”  
The door suddenly creaked open, and Cass took a wary look outside. Trees and grass grew with the help of skylights. The radio suddenly started shrieking. Cass tossed the radio before she took cover in the underbrush. Staying silent, she waited for this “hunter” to come by.  
Heavy footsteps approached her. She slowed her breathing as the creature lurched into view. Reptilian skin covered a powerful, muscular humanoid body, but its eyes had no trace of humanity as they scanned the area, hoping for movement. It approached the transmitter with curiosity. Easily crushing the device in its claw-like hand, it looked around the area as though trying to figure out where the radio had come from.  
Cass held still. If that thing caught her, it could, and most likely would, tear her apart with its bare hands. She’d have to sneak around it somehow. It let out a low guttural growl as it continued to search for movement. Cass held in a sigh of relief as it turned and walked in a different direction. As she looked around for any other monsters, a glitter caught her eye. Slowly crawling through the underbrush, she focused on creating as little sound as possible. The bullets felt like a small comfort as she scooped them from the ground. Now to find the shotgun. The pistol would likely be useless against that thing. She doubted that even two shotgun blasts would put that monster down. Finding more bullets before taking it on would be the least suicidal choice.   
The sound of footsteps made her freeze. An inhuman shriek set her on edge, but she forced herself to stay still. There had been intelligence in those reptilian eyes. No doubt it was trying to scare her into running. Keeping her breathing quiet, she tried to remember what the captain… what Wesker had told her. A team would be here in the morning.  
Cass glanced at the skylights to see a bright blue sky. At most it was early evening, and she had a hard time imagining herself surviving the night with this thing lurking about. Perhaps that was what Wesker had truly been hoping for. Everything she’d thought she’d known about him had been swept aside, and even the reptilian monster hunting her down didn’t fully take her mind off of it.   
How long had he been involved with this “testing”? From before S.T.A.R.S.? Her hands shook with anger. He’d said something about making sure the others weren’t as “lucky” as her. She clenched her fist around the bullets as she took a more detailed look at the enclosure around her. Metal walls and a metal door prevented her escape. No doubt the team arriving in the morning would be able to unlock the door, but she had no intention of waiting around for them.  
Chris was in danger. Bravo team had been sent out… no doubt to their doom. It might be too late for them… For Forest… No, she couldn’t think that way. They were professionals with weapons; it would take a lot more to wipe them out.  
Sunlight streamed in through the skylights, giving her an idea. The glass was likely reinforced, but it was still glass. She doubted it could take a shotgun blast without some kind of damage. That would have to be her way out. Now how to get up there?  
Putting the bullets in her pocket, she decided that the most important thing on her to-do list was to find that shotgun… if there even was one. Would he have lied about that? She hoped not. After all, the shotgun was essential to her plan; without it, she’d be hunter food. Taking a deep breath, she continued crawling through the enclosure and hoped that her suspicions were wrong. Every couple of minutes she would stop and listen for footsteps. She heard nothing. Anxiety clawed at her throat, but she forced herself to remain calm. Chris needed her. Forest, Joseph, Jill, and Barry… the sooner she escaped the sooner they’d be rescued. She had to believe that to keep whatever sanity she had left. They would be okay. She’d make sure of that.  
Her hand pushed down on something hard, and she froze in horror before realizing it was a rifle case. Unburying it from a slight covering of dirt, she brushed it off before pulling it from the hole. Before she unlatched the case, a thought struck her. What if opening this set off some kind of alarm? Better safe than sorry, she thought to herself as she slowly moved to a different area.   
Quickly unlatching the clips, she pulled out the shotgun before closing it and throwing it where she’d found it. As she quietly made her getaway, she heard a loud beeping sound. Taking cover behind a tree, she saw the creature making a beeline for the case. There was a flash of light as the monster found the case. An explosion mangled one of the creature’s hands as it shrieked in fury. As it ran past Cass’ hiding place, she clutched the shotgun to her chest. Another shriek convinced her to slowly move into a nearby bush.   
The creature continued to thrash about as she fished the bullets from her pocket. The creature continued to scream as she loaded the gun, thankfully covering up any noise. In a fit of rage, it picked up a large rock and flung it. Narrowly missing the bush that she was hiding in, the rock slammed into the ground nearby, breaking into two separate pieces. The creature took off running with a surprising speed. As it tore through the nearby area, Cass slowly and quietly moved around it. Pulling up the bush she’d been hiding in, it screamed in a rage before running into the distance.   
Noticing that she’d been holding her breath the entire time, Cass took a measured breath and started slowly moving away from the sounds. Finding as much shotgun ammo as she could became the number one goal on her list, then she’d focus on finding a way to climb out of this mess. If she got out of this alive, then, after saving Chris, killing Albert Wesker would make the very top of her to-do list.


	14. Chapter 14

The enclosure had grown eerily quiet as the sun set, turning the sky above a dusky orange. Most of the bushes and undergrowth had been unearthed by the reptilian monstrosity, making it harder to find places to hide. On the positive side, it had made finding bullets a little easier. Her total ammunition was now five shotgun shells with two already loaded in the gun and seven pistol bullets. She had yet to find the fabled pistol, but she'd mostly stuck to the outer edges of the enclosure.

There was a ledge at the top of the enclosure that was close enough to a tall tree for her to reach it. Unfortunately for her escape plan, she hadn't climbed a tree since she was eleven. Hopefully, the adrenaline surge at the threat of death would be enough to propel her up the tree.

The creature had disappeared after destroying most of the enclosure in a rage. Cass at least wanted to know where it was, so she'd know when she could safely begin her ascent. The monster had incredible arm strength; no doubt its legs were just as powerful. A single leap could spell doom for her if she didn't get a good head start. Using the trees to hide herself, she slowly made her way along the outer edges of the enclosure. The only place she hadn't checked was the center.

Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she slowly made her way towards the center. A path of destruction led her right to a lake. The only part of the center not reduced to shattered twigs and clumps of dirt was a tree stump with a pistol resting on top. Movement in the water caused a small ripple. Cass' hands tightened on the shotgun as she realized the creature was smart enough to leave the trap alone. No doubt it waited in the water for her to come claim the weapon. Deciding that the pistol wasn't worth the dismemberment, she crawled back through the trees towards the ledge that she had seen.

The tree seemed to be even bigger than the last time she'd seen it. With a small sigh, she used the sling to tie the shotgun around her and set it over her back. She'd need all of her strength for this to work. As she approached the tree, a small sound made her hesitate. The sight of a string floating in the wind made her let out a little groan. She bolted away and took refuge behind a fallen log as a siren blared out from behind the tree.

Loud footsteps made their way toward the siren. Cass stayed motionless as she heard the monster approach the tree. She realized that she could probably go back for the pistol now before a crunching sound caught her attention. She peeked around the log to see the creature with its claws in her only means of escape.

"Hey!" Cass screeched as she jumped out from her hiding place with the shotgun raised at the creature.

The monster let go of the tree and turned to stare at her with its cold eyes. As it lunged forward, Cass pulled the trigger. The sound of the blast echoed off the walls. Blood splattered from the creature as it fell backwards with another shriek of pain. Cass stared for a moment in horror as it started to get back up.

Another shot caused the creature to fall back down to the ground, and Cass sprinted away as fast as her legs could carry her. An anguished scream in the distance let her know that it was still alive and angrier than ever. Taking cover by a rock, she listened for the creature's heavy footsteps. Another roar echoed through the enclosure. Using the screech to cover her sounds, she cleared the shotgun before inserting two more rounds.

Her heart threatened to leap out of her chest as she waited for it to get within range. The closer it was to the blast the more damage it would do, and Cass had no idea just how durable this creature was. Two rounds from a shotgun would have killed almost anything. Clearly, the laws of nature didn't apply in this place. A loud crash caught her attention as it slammed into a tree on her right. As the tree fell, she cocked the gun. Its eyes focused on her just as she pulled the trigger. There was a sickening sound, and the creature fell to the ground.

Cass cocked the gun a second time and waited for it to try to get back up, but it made no effort to move as a pool of blood expanded underneath it. Walking slowly backwards, she kept an eye on it as she walked toward the center of the enclosure. Taking the pistol, she quickly raced back to the tree. Thankfully, it was still upright and mostly unharmed aside from two giant claw marks. Putting the safety on the shotgun and the pistol, she began her ascent towards freedom with the shotgun over her back and the pistol in her back pocket. Leftover adrenaline pumped through her, making the climb a little easier but no less nerve-wracking.

As she took a break on a sturdy branch halfway up the tree, she heard a snap that made her heart leap in her chest. She glanced down the tree. Nothing. The sun had already long since disappeared over the horizon, and Cass assumed that the paranoia was getting to her. As she resumed climbing, a shadow raced out from the dark. The creature darted for the tree with blood still streaming from its head, but it seemed far too enraged to care about its wounds. The sudden resurge of adrenaline gave Cass a much-needed boost as she climbed as fast as she could.

A loud snap below her let her know that the creature had reached the tree. The tree began to fall. Cass pushed herself off the tree towards the ledge. Her hands griped it as the tree tumbled to the ground with a loud crash. Cass pulled herself onto the ledge and sat for a few seconds. After catching her breath, she turned off the shotgun's safety and aimed up at the skylights. The blast shattered the windows as Cass used her arm to shield her face from the glass. She definitely had some cuts on her arm, but at least it was still attached to her.

Using the shotgun to brush away the remaining glass from the skylight, she started to climb through when a sudden lurch of the platform almost caused her to fall. She looked down in horror to see a pair of scaly hands hanging on the ledge. The hands bent the metal platform, and a creak erupted from the platform as it bent under the weight. Jumping for the opening, she pulled herself onto the roof of the building before fishing the last shotgun bullet from her pocket. As she reloaded the gun, she backed over another set of skylights.

The creature launched itself onto the roof with a savage grin. Drool and blood dripped from its gaping mouth as it slowly walked toward Cass, clearly savoring the moment before its kill. As it stepped onto the skylight, a small fissure formed in the glass. It looked at the crack with curiosity, and Cass pulled the trigger. The blast caused the glass to shatter. The creature dropped back down into the enclosure with one last screech. Hesitantly, Cass walked closer to the edge to get a peek. It laid flat on its back; its eyes open but unseeing. At least she hoped.

Collapsing onto her knees, she set the shotgun on the ground. Tears blurred her vision as she tried to calm herself. She reached into her back pocket with her still-shaking hands and retrieved the pistol. Loading the gun made her feel a little more comfortable. Taking a deep breath, she tried to suppress the trauma… at least for now. Chris was still in danger. She needed to be calm. If she went after him in this state, she'd be more of a burden than a help.

Cass wiped away her tears with the back of her hand. There would be time for tears and therapy later. As she took a deep breath, she stared at the night sky and tried to clear her thoughts. The sound of a chopper in the distance pulled her from her attempt at relaxation. She opened her eyes to see the Alpha Team chopper landing in the distance.

Getting up too quickly, she stumbled before she caught herself. Brad would most likely be the one piloting the chopper, and he could tell her where Chris was. And if he was also an Umbrella spy… well, Wesker had been kind enough to give her a pistol. It would be a shame to let it go unused. Although when it came to possible Umbrella spies, she had him way down the list. Umbrella seemed to only hire competent people. She peered along the edge of the building only to see darkness below. A bark of laughter left her lips as she realized that she'd spent all that time finding a way up and had no idea how she would get down.


	15. Chapter 15

Breathing heavily as she rested on the ground, she kept a watch on the woods around her. The moon provided little to no light. The forest was dark, and strange sounds emanating from it put Cass on edge. Stretching her arms, she stood up from the ground. It was at least midnight, and she had no idea how long the helicopter would be there. Despite how heavy and sore her body felt, she started walking toward the forest.  
The feel of the pistol in her hands helped her feel more reassured. As she scanned the darkness, she turned off the safety. Quietly sneaking through the forest, she briefly wondered what other kinds of creatures might be hiding in these woods. Not even Umbrella could be stupid enough to set monsters like that free… right? With a sudden burst of energy, she picked up her pace toward the helicopter.   
The sound of nearby gunfire caught her attention. Cass ran for cover as the sound got closer. As Cass quickly hid behind a tree, she heard the sound of someone frantically running and a click as a gun jammed. A growl made her peek out in time to see a man being chased by two dogs. The dogs looked like the ones that had attacked her and Jack with the skin rotting off of them to reveal the muscle underneath. Cass froze in fear. Those dogs took quite a lot of bullets last time. Was seven enough to deal with them?  
A sudden crash and the sound of the man swearing told her that he had fallen down. Jumping out from behind the tree, Cass fired two shots at one of the dogs. It went down with one small yelp. The other dog turned to growl at her, but the man kicked it into a tree, momentarily stunning it. Cass quickly pulled the trigger. The first two shots hit the dog, but the wounds didn’t seem to faze it as it leapt toward her. She quickly moved out the way as its jaws snapped at the air. Before it could land, Cass kicked it as hard as she could. She used two more of her bullets. The dog stopped moving.  
Cass glanced toward the stranger as she loaded her last bullet into the gun. He had out a knife and plunged it into the dog’s throat. He shrugged at her look of horror and explained, “Just making sure. Dead things don’t stay dead around here.”  
Giving the dogs an apologetic look, she checked the darkness for more. No movement made her feel more secure. With a sigh, the man sat back to rest on a tree with a wince. He held his side and gave her a sheepish grin before he asked, “So… you come here often?”  
Cass rolled her eyes and replied, “There’s no time for that… or for rest unfortunately. A helicopter landed nearby, and it’s our best bet if we want to survive. So unless you want to become puppy chow, follow me… and I’d suggest you do so quietly and quickly.”  
“Yes, ma’am,” the man retorted with a mock salute.  
“Funny…” Cass murmured as she tried to figure out which way they should head.  
The stranger looked oddly familiar to her. She tried to think of where she’d seen him as he stood up. A memory of a file flashed in her mind’s eye. Billy Coen. Tension gripped her body, and she slowly lifted up the gun.  
Billy noticed with another sigh and raised his arms in surrender. “You one of Umbrella’s cronies?”  
“No.”  
“Well, you’d probably have killed me already if you were… S.T.A.R.S. then? Like Rebecca?”  
Cass lowered the gun but kept a firm grip. “You saw Rebecca? Is she okay?”  
“Yeah… at least she was the last time I saw her.”  
“Then why isn’t she with you now?!”  
“She wanted to find the other members; I want to get the hell out of here. She was fine… but sleep deprived. Which I believe we all are,” he said and looked at Cass for confirmation. “Look. We need to get out of here. There are more than infected dogs lurking around here… in fact, it looks like you met something yourself.”  
Cass followed his glance to see that the glass had wounded her worse than expected. At least she didn’t have a bite would to go with it. Keeping her gun lowered, she gestured for him to follow her. She’d rather save the bullet anyway. Billy had been scheduled for transport to a nearby secure facility.   
Realizing with horror that she’d seen the file on Wesker’s desk, she wondered if the “secure facility” could have been one of Umbrella’s laboratories. A death-row inmate would hardly be missed. Pushing her hair from her face, she focused on getting to the helicopter. Peeking behind her, she caught a glimpse of Billy looking warily into the darkness behind them.  
Billy had been tried and convicted of killing innocent villagers. Would he try to kill her once they found the helicopter? Had he lied about Rebecca? She would deal with that in the future. He likely wouldn’t kill her before they found the helicopter.  
There was a sudden tug on her short as he pulled her behind him. Cass peeked around him. Three men in all black combat fatigues emerged from the darkness.   
“Who the hell are you?” Billy asked in a suspicious tone, trying to shield her from view.  
“Step away from the girl,” one of the men replied, pointing his gun towards Billy.  
“Why? So you can get a better shot?!”  
The man sighed and explained, “We are here to escort Miss Catherine Walker to safety. You are free to go.”  
“Why just me?” Cass asked before realizing that they were the “team” Wesker had mentioned. They must have gotten to the enclosure just after she escaped. No doubt the sound of gunfire had led them right to Cass and Billy.  
“Your ‘Captain’ can’t wait to see you, Miss Walker. You passed his test beyond any of our expectations. Consider the job yours.”  
“Oh, geez, thanks.”  
Sarcasm coated her words, and the man tilted his head to the side in confusion and replied, “No need for rudeness. The benefits far outweigh the… unpleasant tasks. And you’ll be Wesker’s personal assistant. That’s one of the cushier jobs. So be a good girl and come with us. Otherwise, your new friend… well, he is a death-row inmate anyway.”  
Billy’s body tensed, but he didn’t back down.  
“Hey,” he whispered to Cass. “Be ready to run.”  
“Miss Walker, please don’t make this more difficult than it needs to be,” the man said with impatience before a scream pierced the night air.   
One of the infected dogs had bitten the man closest to the back. As another dog raced forward, the two men turned their guns toward it before a third dog leapt from the darkness.  
“Now!” Billy growled and grabbed her arm.  
As they ran through the woods, the sounds of screams and gunshots followed them. The sound of water made Cass look forward. A small river flowed between them and the helicopter. The current didn’t seem too fast, but Cass eyed the water with suspicion.  
“Guess we need to take a swim.”  
Billy jumped into the water. Cass searched the water for any movement beneath the water’s surface. Soon he was on the other side. Only after making sure nothing had followed him did she take the plunge. The cold water washed away her sleepiness as she swam.  
Resting on the other side, she felt her muscles ache. At least the water had washed the blood and glass residue from her arms. Billy leaned down to offer her a hand.  
“We should get going,” he said with a wince of pain.   
Blood trickled down his other arm, and Cass got up to take a look at it. A bullet had grazed his arm. It wasn’t deadly, but it could cause other problems. Cass looked around the forest, hoping to see the telltale signs of a specific plant. The green herb was known to be useful in stopping bleeding. It was even kept in several areas of the police building. Quickly crawling into the bushes, she found one growing near a fallen tree. Billy gave her a concerned look as she headed back to the river to find two rocks.  
“What are you doing?”   
“Just a minute. If any of those dogs are alive, that wound might draw them to us.”  
“And your buddies? I doubt all of them died. They had a lot of ammo.”  
“Here. Done,” Cass said irritably before handing him some of the paste from the freshly ground herb. “Rub this onto your wound. It’ll stop the bleeding.”  
Cass rubbed some of the herb onto her arms and watched as Billy hesitantly applied it to his wound. Giving her a thankful nod, he started leading the way to the helicopter. Cass took a final look back to the other side of the river. With a small sigh, she followed Billy into the dark woods.


	16. Chapter 16

As Cass and Billy traveled through the dense forest, Cass’ mind began to wander. She had trouble focusing on the helicopter. A burning question raged through her mind as she stealthily stole glances at Billy. Suddenly, Bill stopped with a sigh and turned to her with a knowing half-smile.  
“I know I’m not handsome enough for all that attention,” he said with a glance at Cass’ embarrassed face. “If you’ve got anything you want to ask or say, now’s your chance.”  
“Why did you kill all those people?” She blurted out, and he flinched in response. Getting to the helicopter was her top priority, but she wanted to test a theory first.  
Smoothing his hair back, he replied tiredly, “I didn’t kill any of them… but I don’t expect you to believe me. I know a guilty man would have the same story.”  
“I believe you,” Cass said and looked away when he looked at her with shock and disbelief. “You’ve known where the helicopter was this entire time, haven’t you?” She glanced back at him to see him give her a sheepish look in response. “Every time we started walking toward it, you would take the lead without waiting for directions. If you were the kind of person who would kill an entire village of people, then you would have left me the moment those guys showed up. You knew they were there before I did, and you didn’t run. You’re not that kind of person… although maybe I’m not the kind of person who should be judging anybody… considering how blindsided I just was.”  
Cass could feel the bitterness in the back of her throat. Wesker had seemed like a good captain. Understanding… tough but fair… a good teacher. She sighed and started walking through the forest again.   
“Some people are good at hiding their true selves,” Billy said softly. “My superior… he was the one who gave the order. I… I didn’t fire my gun, but the others… I guess, it was easier to shift the blame to me.”  
Cass noticed Billy look down with sadness in his eyes. He definitely didn’t seem to be a murderer. No doubt she’d be dead if he was, and maybe what he said was true. No one wanted to believe that someone they respect is lying to them. Wesker was the one responsible for this. Not them.  
The guilt that had been hounding her for so long drifted from her shoulders and with its absence came a second wind. Picking up her pace, she worked her way toward the distant sound of the helicopter. Billy’s footsteps behind her had turned into a small comfort.  
“So those guys in black… what was that about? A job offer?”  
Cass let out a small bark of laughter and asked, “Did that sound in any way voluntary to you?” Cass glanced at Billy as he gave her a shrug. “The ‘captain’ of S.T.A.R.S., Wesker… he was working for Umbrella. Those guys in black were probably working for some rival company. Wesker said something about making sure the other members of S.T.A.R.S. didn’t survive, so I assume Umbrella or that rival company thought of them as a threat.”  
“But not you? Those guys really wanted to take you in alive. We’d both be dead if they didn’t.”  
“Wesker said that I’m the only one who had a chance of surviving tonight. Because I’m less of a threat, I guess.”  
Billy laughed and said with a friendly smile, “That’s not exactly the impression I get. You’re a pretty tough cookie if I do say so myself.”  
“Compliments won’t get you anywhere.”  
“We’re alone in creepy infested woods… Nothing wrong with a little comradery before we escape or bite the dust.”  
Cass rolled her eyes and said, “Not exactly in the best mood. I’ve been through hell tonight. I think I get a pass for being unfriendly. Besides… even if all the S.T.A.R.S. are miraculously still alive… I really admired him. I trusted him. I thought he was the perfect leader. Caring, trustworthy, loyal… and he wasn’t any of those things.” Cass laughed before she continued, “What do you do when one of the people you respected most… trusted most turns out to be the person you should have trusted the least?”   
Cass paused to close her eyes and take a deep breath. A hand on her shoulder startled her, and she turned to see Billy giving her an understanding look. Cass placed her hand on top of his for a moment before continuing through the woods.   
“If we survive this, at least I’ll have a couple new friends,” Billy said thoughtfully giving her a smile. “Bonded by trauma.”  
A small laugh forced its way out of Cass despite her distress. They continued the rest of the way in silence. As the helicopter came into view, Cass searched for any sign of the pilot. Brad paced around the field as though in a panic before he noticed Cass. With a look of relief, he ran towards them.  
“You won’t BELIEVE what I’ve seen tonight!” Brad shouted with terror and eyed Billy warily. “Hey, wait! Why are you here, Cass? The captain said that you were going back to the academy for some paperwork mix-up.”  
“Wesker is a lying traitor!” Cass snapped and looked around. “Where is Chris?! Joseph? Jill? Barry? Don’t tell me you just left them somewhere!”  
“I had to!” Brad yelled defensively. “Those dogs… they tore Joseph apart in seconds! If I had stayed, I’d be dead too! We need to fly back to the city. Get another team sent in. There’s no way I can deal with this. I wasn’t trained for it! I’m just the pilot and recruiter guy!”  
“So… you just left them there?” Cass asked in a suspiciously calm tone.   
“I had to! I’ve been flying over the place, hoping to radio someone, but I haven’t been able to reach anyone. Either their radios are broken or…”  
“Where did you leave them?”  
“Some mansion North of here.”  
“Well, get in the damn helicopter because that’s where we’re going!”  
“Oh, hell no! Did you not hear me?! I can’t go back there! We need to get some—”  
Cass walked up to Brad and, before he could react, grabbed his vest. After slamming him into the ground, she used her weight to pin him and stared him down until he went still.   
“THERE’S NO TIME FOR THAT, BRAD! WESKER sent them in there! WESKER trapped me in an enclosure with a mutated nightmare! He’s going to make sure no one survives. Waiting for another team is dooming every single one of our teammates… our friends to death! Umbrella is behind this. They hired Wesker… from the beginning, and now they want to get rid of the evidence.”  
“How do you know it was the Captain?” Brad asked with some skepticism.  
“Because he radioed me to tell me the rules of his sick game, but I decided to think outside the box.”  
“Why didn’t he just drop you inside the mansion with everyone else? How do I know you’re not on his side? Trying to get me killed to ‘get rid of the evidence’?”  
“Brad… if I was working with Umbrella, you’d already be dead,” Cass replied with a glare and showed him her gun. “I’ve only got one bullet, but hey, look at that. There’s only one Brad here. How convenient.”  
Brad seemed to believe her now and said hesitantly, “Okay then. But what are you going to do with only one bullet? Give one of those dogs a headache?”  
“Well then, what do you suggest?”  
“How about… I fly you and the civilian to the edge of the forest before I go back for the others,” he said before catching Cass’ disbelieving look. “Okay, look… I know I’ve been a coward, but if Wesker is behind this… then they don’t have a chance of surviving without help. And we can’t bring a civilian with us, and we sure can’t leave him alone. I think I’ve got a plan now.”  
Cass gave him a skeptical look before she helped him up off of the ground. Brad quickly walked back to the helicopter with a scared look to Cass.   
“Remind me to never get on your bad side,” Billy said with an amused grin.  
“If I need to remind you after that, then you deserve it,” Cass said and followed Brad to the helicopter.   
“That’s fair.”  
Cass once again rolled her eyes as she climbed into the helicopter. Brad fiddled with the controls as Billy climbed inside. Cass glanced at Brad. He didn’t seem to recognize Billy as he’d called Billy a civilian. Honestly, she doubted he even read the memos much less the files. She relaxed and glanced at Billy to see him still wearing that amused smile and watching her with curiosity. She looked outside the window as the helicopter slowly rose into the air. She still wanted to snap at Brad for leaving them, but she didn’t want to become a source of amusement. That could wait until after Chris was safe and sound.


	17. Chapter 17

Cass waited as the doctor cleaned her wounds. The river had gotten most of the glass shards out but not everything. She wondered if Billy was doing alright. They had separated after reaching the outskirts of the city. Thinking back to what he'd said, she felt her mind drift from the pain in her arm.

"This is as far as I go, champ," Billy had said with a smile. "Not going to chance getting locked up again."

"How are you going to get out of here?" Cass asked, glaring at him with a slight bit of worry.

"I've got my secrets, hun," Billy replied cheerfully with a wink.

Cass rolled her eyes and muttered, "Fine. Just be careful."

"I will… thank you."

Cass looked back over to see his hand outstretched and extended hers. After shaking hands, they said their goodbyes, but as Cass turned to leave, he stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey… I don't want to pry or anything, but… it might be a good idea if you get out of town too. Those guys back there… they might come after you again. They didn't seem like the type to take 'no' for an answer."

"I'm not going anywhere until I find out if my friends are okay."

Billy sighed and let go of her.

"Just be careful then."

"I will. Thanks."

Billy chuckled at her stubbornness before vanishing into the tree line. Thinking back on it, she wondered if he had walked with her just to make sure she made it safely. The sting of the alcohol brought her back to the present as the doctor finished bandaging her wounds. Thanking him, she stood and walked out the door.

"Miss Walker! Should you really be moving around like that?" the chief asked as he approached with a fake grin. "You have a lot of injuries. You should take it easy for a while."

The mayor walked behind the chief with a worried expression. Clearly, the chief was minding his manners to save face, but she could see the unhinged rage in his eyes. He seemed to want her to keep quiet. At least for the moment.

"Have you heard from Brad?" she said, obviously ignoring him.

She watched his brow furrow in fury before he caught himself. "Worried about your friends, are we? No need to be concerned. I'm sure everything will work out."

"'No need to be concerned'? I GOT ATTACKED BY A MONSTER! AND THEY'RE OUT THERE FIGHTING FOR THEIR LIVES! I HAVE EVERY RIGHT TO BE CONCERNED!"

The mayor looked like he was going to faint as the chief grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her to the side.

"I know you're worried about your friends, but there's no reason to act this way. Everyone is doing their best," he said in a voice loud enough for the mayor to hear him but then whispered, "There's no Captain Wesker or Chris here to protect you right now. It'd be best for you to follow instructions, young lady."

Cass quickly grabbed onto his arm with her other hand and slammed it into a nearby table. As he released her arm, she took a couple steps back but didn't flinch as he turned to her with hatred.

"Oh, sir. There's a table there," she said loud enough for the mayor to hear. "You should be more careful."

The chief hissed, "You… think I won't get you for this?"

"You can try, but considering what I just killed… I sure wouldn't."

Cass started to walk away when she heard the sound of the helicopter in the distance. There was only one place it could land safely. Bolting toward the staircase, she dodged people, excusing herself breathlessly. Finally, she made it to the top of the roof. The helicopter had landed, and Barry had gotten out, carrying Rebecca in his arms. As he approached the door, Cass held it open and looked at Rebecca with worry.

"Don't worry, kid. She's just sleeping. It's been a rough day for us… and you too," Barry said, noticing her bandages.

"Cass!" Chris said as he jumped out of the helicopter.

Barry went inside as Cass ran to meet Chris. She threw her arms around him as he rested his head on hers. They stood still for a moment before Cass saw Jill shakily get out of the chopper. Leading them inside, Cass noticed the chief and the mayor headed their way.

"The doctor is this way," Cass said as she grabbed onto their hands and led them past the chief.

The chief threw her a dirty look as she moved past him. She couldn't deal with him right now. Making sure everyone was okay was far more important than dealing with the chief's mood swings. Rebecca was in the bed with Barry getting checked on by the doctor.

"I'm just tired," Jill said, giving Cass a small reassuring smile. "I don't think I need a checkup… what happened to your arms?!"

Chris seemed to have just noticed her arms and held onto her hand.

"I already got looked at by the doctor… and you don't know what you were exposed to. Better to be careful."

Jill nodded, but Cass knew that they'd have a talk later about what she'd been through. Chris and Jill walked into the room as Barry came out. He had a few cuts and bruises but didn't seem too hurt.

"I need to talk with the chief," Barry said with fury, and Cass pointed in the chief's direction. "Thanks. We'll talk later."

Cass nodded and watched Barry storm off to find the chief. With a sigh, she debated following him. Barry could handle himself, but she was still worried. A hand on her shoulder made her jump, and she turned to see Kevin looking at her worriedly.

"Hey… are you okay? Did everyone get back okay? I saw Barry and Rebecca, but…"

He trailed off as tears started streaming down her face. She tried to stop the tears, but they just kept coming. Kevin gently led her to an empty room as people started gathering to see what was going on. With a gentle tug, he pulled her into an embrace. She buried her head into his shoulder. After a few moments of silence, she calmed herself enough to pull away, and Kevin slowly let her go.

"You don't have to tell me what happened right now. That's okay," he assured her quickly. "Just know… that when you're ready…"

The sound of Chris yelling caught Cass' attention, and she rushed out of the room. Barry had his hands on Chris' shoulders and was steering him toward the chief's office. Cass quickly followed behind them and got into the office before the door closed. She briefly looked around at the mounted and stuffed animals around the room. This place gave her the creeps.

Something touched the side of her arm, and she flinched. Kevin gave her an apologetic look before they both focused their attention on the chief.

"Don't be so loud, Redfield!" the chief said irritably. "Of course, we'll send people to investigate… Of course, that might be difficult… seeing as how the 'enclosure' our Miss Walker found herself in has since been burned to the ground."

"What?" Chris asked and turned to Cass.

"Oh, yes. Miss Walker has reported her own adventure to us. Rest assured, this will all be taken care of… Now as I understand it, Captain Wesker was behind all of this… Well, where is he? Did he escape?"

"He's dead," Chris said and turned back to the chief. "Killed by his own creation. But Umbrella was really responsible. They need to be held accountable!"

"Yes, of course… should there be sufficient evidence then we will prosecute them, but first I need time."

Jill crossed her arms and gave the chief a piercing stare, while Barry looked hesitant to trust the chief. Brad stood in the corner, not saying a word, and Chris looked away with a scowl.

"Fine," Chris growled before walking toward Cass.

"Ah, and, Miss Walker, before you go… I do have something for you."

The chief pulled out a S.T.A.R.S. badge and tossed it to her. She looked at it for a moment before she looked at him in confusion.

"Welcome to S.T.A.R.S. Captain Wesker wanted you to have that one specifically. Now please… I need to make a few calls."

Cass left the room still staring at the badge in her hands. There was a switch in the back. As she slid it, it revealed a USB port. What could this be to? The weapons locker? She doubted Wesker would have wanted her to have access to that.

"Cass…" Chris murmured, and Cass turned to see his face looking at her with guilt. "I'm so sorry… I'm so…"

Cass quickly embraced him before he could finish. He gripped onto her as though the world was falling apart around them.


	18. Chapter 18

The badge glittered in the light as Cass inspected it. As she clicked the switch on the back, the USB port slid into place. With a sigh, she leaned back in her chair and stared at the computer screen in front of her. Was she being paranoid? Wesker had made sure she got ahold of this, but for what purpose? Was there something on here that he wanted her to see? Could it be a trap and infect her computer? That sounded more likely than it containing any useful information.  
Setting the badge on the desk, she started spinning in her chair. S.T.A.R.S. was “on a break”, but they all knew it would soon be shut down. Chris would be transferring to the police, but that was just a cover while he continued looking into Umbrella. Irons had no intention of investigating a problem he had helped to create. No doubt Umbrella would be looking into them as well. Watching… waiting for them to make a mistake.  
The badge reflected the light from the screen. Could this be the mistake? Wesker had said that he was leaving Umbrella… so perhaps it would help this new company. Maybe it was just a pre-recorded message to taunt her. Or maybe she was wasting what could be valuable time by not checking out potential information. She pulled her legs into the chair, hugging them to her chest as her mind raced with the possibilities.  
The only reason Umbrella seemed to be leaving them alone was that no one believed them. Irons had done a good job of making them seem like traumatized officers. That their minds had created a false story to help them cope with the loss of their companions and captains. Cass’ grip tightened on her legs as she considered getting Chris’ help. No. He and Jill were planning something, and she didn’t want to distract them unless she had something concrete. If this was just a video of their previous captain mocking them, then Cass didn’t want them to see it.  
She dropped her legs back onto the floor as she realized someone who could help. Ben had at least listened to their story even if he had seemed incredulous at some of the details. Cass ran over to her laundry, trying to find his card in the clothes of days past. With a smile of relief, she found the card and ran for the phone. She caught her breath as she picked up the receiver and dialed the number.  
“Ben Bertolucci speaking,” he said in a calm but wary voice.  
“Hey… this is Cass Walker… from S.T.A.R.S.”  
“Oh!” Ben’s voice sounded much more relaxed. “You know where I am… at the moment at least. Why don’t you come on over? Remember that coffee I promised you?”  
Cass was confused for a moment before she realized that he probably didn’t trust the phone lines at the moment. She responded quickly, “Of course. You think I’d forget? I’ll be right over.”  
After hanging up the phone, she grabbed the badge and her purse before making her way out of the door. No doubt Umbrella were trying to find out how much Ben knew. Perhaps even making threats. The car was quiet as she drove without music. Paranoia had gripped her since the “test” she had gone through. She wanted to be sure of every sound around her as she drove, and sabotaging her car didn’t sound too far out of Umbrella’s comfort zone.   
Her nerves were on edge as she drove up to the motel where Ben was staying. She checked each car as she drove toward his building, certain that one of them would contain men in black combat gear waiting to ambush her. Luckily, it looked clear. Ben was waiting outside his room with a lit cigarette as she pulled up. With a wave, he gestured for her to follow him into his car. She got out of her car and followed him.   
As she got into his car, she looked at him with a raised eyebrow. Flicking his cigarette out the window, he explained, “I’ve made sure this beauty is bug-free. Can you say the same about yours?”  
Cass’ eyes widened as she realized that she hadn’t thought of that. She had been careful of what she’d said in the office, but she’d never thought about if they’d planted devices in their homes. No doubt Jill and Chris would have checked, but she didn’t like the fact that she’d missed something that obvious. She nodded before showing him the badge. His gaze went from confused to intrigued as she flipped the switch.  
“Wesker wanted me to have this. I haven’t checked it yet… I was concerned it might contain a virus or… worse.”  
Ben looked at thoughtfully before he smiled conspiratorially and said, “I might have a solution to that. Wait here. I need to make a quick call.”  
Ben had a spring in his step as he ran to the door. Cass watched the back mirrors as she waited. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but the silence wasn’t too reassuring. She flinched as he quickly jumped back into the car. He was out of breath and gave her an excited look.  
“I’ve found a solution. One of my… friends is a computer programmer. She said she has a computer you can use. Fair warning though… she’s going to ask you about what happened. Are you prepared for that?”  
Cass took a deep breath and nodded. This was more than what she’d expected. She wrung her hands in nervousness as Ben drove them to a different part of town, but a part of her was also excited.   
The houses in this part of the town were much larger than anything she’d been in, and she gave Ben a side glance which he returned with a smile. She’d been expecting a much different change in scenery. Just how much did a computer programmer make?   
As they pulled into a ludicrously long driveway, Cass noticed a fashionably dressed woman waiting for them at the door of the house. Ben greeted the woman warmly as he got out of the car. With a calm, confident walk, she strode toward them and embraced Cass tightly.  
“Oh, you poor girl,” the woman said, and Cass noticed Ben looking at them with amusement. “I have just the thing you need. I was about to toss it out anyway. Got too much around here to be completely honest… And you know those older models… not the most reliable.”  
“Thank you very much,” Cass replied quickly as the woman led her inside. She had about a million questions, but the woman was already helping her out. No need to antagonize a possible ally.  
The woman smiled at Cass and said thoughtfully, “I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Agatha Ashford, at your service. And you are Cassandra Walker?”  
“Yes… I prefer ‘Cass’ if you don’t mind.”  
“Not at all, dear. I prefer ‘Gats’ myself. Agatha is such a dated name.”   
Ben let out a snicker and got a glare from Gats in return. She turned back to Cass with a smile and led her into a room that had a single computer set up.   
“Now I heard you got something sketchy from that Wesker fellow.”  
Cass held up the badge and triggered the USB. Gats inspected the badge as she continued explaining, “You were right to bring it to me. Umbrella is a scum-infested hive, but they’re good at tracing information and keeping their activities in the dark. It’s likely that this contains some kind of virus that would let them get into your system. Luckily, I have this handy extra laying around. Even if it infects this computer, it won’t infect my network as this hasn’t been hooked up or shared files with anything else. This was just an experiment to see if I could resurrect and upgrade this old guy.”  
She tapped the computer with fondness before she continued, “Sorry, old fellow… But bringing Umbrella down is much more valuable.”  
“If you don’t mind me asking… why are you helping me? Don’t get me wrong. I’m incredibly grateful, but… they’re dangerous. I just want to make sure you know what you’re getting into, and besides… this is probably Umbrella’s competitor.”  
“What?” Ben asked with a confused look.  
“Wesker was originally working with Umbrella, but he had been planning to leave them. I believe for a different company. One with ‘more connections.’”  
“Hmm.” Gats appeared to be deep in thought. “Well, that’s not so surprising. Surely Umbrella isn’t the only company willing to cause suffering for a profit. Umbrella is my main goal, but I’m willing to take down other companies if that gets me closer to my goal. A member of my family took part in the founding of Umbrella… It’s not a sense of duty that compels me to take down Umbrella. It’s shame. Umbrella was, and still is, a sore reminder to my family that we were willing to harm others for our own success. I have no intention of dying, but I am prepared for the work that we are doing here. Now… are you ready?”  
The badge glimmered in the reflection of the computer screen as Gats held it up to her. Cass nodded. Gats’ eyes lit up as she put the drive into the computer. As Wesker’s face appeared before her eyes, Cass stared at the screen in silence.


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Author's note: A Christmas present for all of my wonderful readers: htt ps://ww w.cameo. c om/v/8VHoDx1Pa  
> (Delete the spaces to get the url.) And a big thank you to D.C. Douglass. He really knocked it out of the park.

“Hello, my dear,” Wesker said with a grin, and Cass’ hand instinctively gripped onto the desk. “If you’ve gotten this message, then you’ve not only successfully defeated my Hunter but avoided capture as well. Impressive. Fortunately for you, I have no intention of allowing such a rare find to escape. I will come for you shortly… after I take care of some unpleasant business, but until then you may review the files on this drive. You will need to be familiar with the creatures Umbrella produces. Do take care, and I will see you soon.”  
“Isn’t he dead?” Ben asked with hesitation.  
“Yes, Chris saw him die,” Cass replied, trying to keep the fear out of her voice.  
Gats rummaged through the files on the screen before settling on one labeled Hunter. A picture of the creature Cass had fought flashed up on the screen, and she gasped in horror. This seemed to be a standard creature in their arsenal. Information and statistics appeared below the picture, and Cass had to turn away for a moment to collect herself. With shaking hands, she took control of the mouse and went through file after file. “Cerberus” was the name for the infected dogs, and they, like the Hunter, were a familiar threat. “Chimera”, “Tyrant”, and “Neptune” were all new. As she clicked through the files, she became more and more horrified at Umbrella’s atrocities.  
“What if he’s not dead?” Ben asked, cutting through Cass’ panic.  
“What? Wesker?” Cass asked incredulously. “If Chris says he died, then he died. Otherwise, Chris would stop at nothing to bring him to justice.”  
“But what if he faked it somehow? He seems incredibly confident there. That’s the face of a man who’s got a plan. I doubt he’d be easily killed by one of his own monsters.”  
“Hubris is the downfall of many men,” Gats spoke up, surprising Cass. “Although… he certainly believed he knew something we don’t.”  
Ben and Gats shared a look, and Cass felt a twinge of annoyance at being left out of the loop. Ben noticed her glare and shuffled nervously.  
“It might be a good idea to get out of town,” Ben said with a glance at Gats for support. “For a while at least. Even if Wesker is dead, Umbrella isn’t. Plus if there really is a competitor to Umbrella, I doubt that they would just forget about you. Wesker seemed pretty serious about your recruitment. No doubt they’d be interested in you too.”  
“I’m nothing special,” Cass replied bitterly. “Wesker just wanted a loyal lackey. Someone he could manipulate…”  
“Wait,” Ben said thoughtfully as he took the mouse and clicked on the hunter file. “He said you defeated ‘his Hunter.’ You fought this thing?!”  
“Yes,” Cass replied with a raised eyebrow. “I told you that he trapped me with a monster. I don’t think he really expected me to survive.”  
Gats stared at the monster in horror as Ben looked more closely at the file names. He clicked on the “Cerberus” file and sighed with frustration.  
“Those are the ‘rabid dogs’ that have attacked people, aren’t they?”  
Cass nodded as she looked away toward the window.  
“Well… that’s… just great,” Ben muttered and put his head in his hands. “That means the dear chief has been covering up for Umbrella this entire time. I suspected as much, but actually seeing it…” Ben ran his hands through his hair before turning his attention back to Cass. “You really need to get the hell out of dodge. The chief is likely to start making your life a hell… but only if Umbrella or this other ‘company’ don’t decide to kidnap you for testing.”  
“I doubt that they’d do that with Chris or Jill around. They wouldn’t let that happen.”  
“But do you want them to focus their attention on you or Umbrella?”  
Cass stared daggers at Ben as Gats put her hand on Cass’ shoulder.  
“I know you want to see this through, but Umbrella or this other company… they’re going to come for you. It’s just a matter of when. Wouldn’t it be better for the others if they knew that you were safe? That way they can focus solely on Umbrella.”  
“There’s no such thing as safe for me anymore!” Cass burst out, moving away from Gats’ hand. “He took that from me. Even if I do run and hide, you don’t think they’ll track me down? That they wouldn’t use the safety of my family and friends to force me out into the open? I’ve already lost some of my friends… I won’t lose any more. There’s only one way for me to play this game. If I pretend that nothing is wrong, then they’re less likely to attack me. And if… when they come for me, I’ll be ready. I killed that Hunter. I fought against those damn dogs. I survived that night, and I’ll be there to watch Umbrella burn to the ground.”  
Gats let out a laugh of approval and turned to Ben with glee.  
“That’s what I wanted to hear. Oh, Benny-bear, I told you the girl’s a fighter. Just like me,” Gats said with relish as Ben rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, love. I’ve got your back. Although Ben is right about one thing. Your chief won’t be the easiest to work with, and he’ll likely be watching your back too… waiting for the chance to put a knife into it.”  
“I’ve applied for other positions,” Cass admitted. “Irons has never liked me. Wesker was the one who protected me… But they’re hiring for dispatchers, which will allow me to stay away from Irons and possibly learn about any situations before Umbrella covers them up.”  
Ben nodded as he looked at Umbrella’s beasts, but Gats just looked concerned. The sun was already setting as Cass turned her attention toward the window. After Ben excused himself, Gats turned her attention to Cass.  
“Aren’t you in danger too?” Cass asked quickly before Gats could ask her question. “They’ll know I came here.”  
“Yes… but I have ways of defending myself. Anyone who dares to enter this house without my knowledge will find themselves in a… precarious situation. Would you mind lending me the drive? I would like to see if there’s anything more coded on it. I was looking at the data, and there seems to be something buried underneath the surface.”  
“Yes, thank you,” Cass said and held out her hand. “For everything.”  
Gats took her hand and said, “You know… it’s okay for you to mourn your friends. All of them.”  
Cass raised her eyebrow before she realized what Gats meant. “Albert Wesker was never my friend. Everything was a lie… a manipulation. He never cared about any of us.”  
“True… but I believe that you cared for the man he pretended to be. I’m just telling you that it’s okay to mourn someone you cared about. The fact that he’s a lying bastard has nothing to do with that. Feel free to come around whenever you need someone to talk to.”  
Cass nodded as Gats pulled her in for a hug. Ben gave them a confused look as he entered the room before getting the hint that Cass wanted to leave. While Ben drove them back to the motel, Cass watched the sun begin to disappear beneath the horizon. Ben was clearly uncomfortable with the silence and seemed to want to ask her questions, but he held back for the time being.  
The only words Ben said as she got into her car were “Stay safe”, and for that Cass was grateful. With a small wave, she started the drive back to Chris’ house. Unwelcome thoughts intruded on her as she drove. Why had Wesker always protected her? Weren’t Irons and him working together for Umbrella? Had it also been a ruse to hide their plans? The animosity between them had felt so real, but Wesker was a good actor. Her captain was dead now. In more ways than one.  
A tear slipped out and fell down her face. Seeing him like that… mocking, smug, uncaring… it had shattered whatever small image she’d still had of her captain. That’s who he truly was underneath the mask. She gripped the steering wheel as she tried to calm herself. Chris wasn’t home yet, and she didn’t want him to see her like this. Wiping her face, she took a deep breath before she got out of the car. She took a look around before unlocking the door. For some reason, she felt oddly on edge. Flipping the light switch, she looked around to see that the house looked the same as it had before she left. Except for one thing. A vase full of daffodils now sat on the kitchen table.  
“Chris?” Cass asked hopefully, but there was no answer.  
The hairs on the back of her neck stood up as she looked out the window. A pair of orange eyes stared at her from the shadows before quickly disappearing into the night.


	20. Chapter 20

The door opened with an ominous creak. Cass pushed it open slowly and looked around her old apartment. She hadn’t cleaned the apartment since Joy attacked her, and it showed. Dust covered the shelves and countertops. Soon this apartment would be someone else’s problem. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door to her old bedroom, trying not to glance at Joy’s old room. Her bed made a slight creak as she threw her suitcase on top of it.  
The clothes inside her dresser were the last things she needed to get out, then the moving company would come by later to pick up the rest. Thankfully the landlord had agreed to wait for them, and Jill would be there to let the movers into their new place. It had been strange living with Chris and Jill, but Cass did feel safer. The past three weeks had been a whirlwind after she’d seen those eyes staring at her from the darkness. She’d hid in the back of a closet until Chris had gotten home.  
Part of her felt ashamed for hiding, but it wasn’t like she had a shotgun on hand. If she hadn’t clung to Chris, she had no doubt that he would have run out into the night, searching for some monstrosity. She’d lied and said that maybe it had been her imagination. Maybe she’d seen lights reflected on the glass. But they both knew that was a lie. The next day Jill had moved in. After weeks of arguing, they had finally settled on a plan.  
Chris would drive Cass to visit her family in Florida, then he’d leave to investigate a lead about Umbrella. Jill would stay behind to investigate Umbrella on their home turf. While Cass didn’t like the idea of leaving Jill by herself, Chris had given Cass a look that told her that he’d refuse to leave unless she left as well. Jill was capable and strong. No doubt she’d be fine until Cass got back. It was only a month. The school for dispatch didn’t start until the beginning of October, but she’d promised her aunt that she’d help Elza get settled in at Raccoon University.  
After finishing getting her clothes packed, Cass took one last look around the room. A picture frame was face down on the dresser. Strange, she noted. Maybe it fell during one of her trips to collect her things, but she didn’t think so. With a shaking hand, she picked up the frame to take a look. It was a photo of Chris and her soon after they had found each other in Raccoon City. The memories of that day brought a smile to her face as she gingerly held the photo. Placing the frame in between some of her clothes, she checked to make sure everything else was packed. A creak made her jump. It sounded like it had come from Joy’s room.  
Cass knelt to the floor and pulled her gun from the bottom of the suitcase. Turning off the safety, she crept out of her room and towards Joy’s old room. With a quick movement, she swung open the door and aimed her gun inside, but no one was there. The room was empty. Wind brushed her hair out of her face, and she looked toward the open window. Briefly glancing outside, she saw no one.  
The bathroom was clear as well. Perhaps all of this paranoia was finally getting to her. She took another look at the room around her. She hadn’t been in here since the incident. One of the cleaners probably left the window open to help with the smell of dried blood. She shut the window, and the sound seemed to echo through the apartment. With a sigh at her own fear, she reset the safety and walked back to her old room. As she put the gun back into the suitcase, she noticed something strange. Where had the frame gone?  
She pushed down on the clothes, hoping to feel the solid metal, but it was gone. She checked around the room; however, she couldn’t see how it could have fallen out. Maybe when she pulled out the gun? A shiver went down her back as she quickly closed the suitcase. Something felt wrong. Like she was being watched. Pretending not to be completely terrified, she picked up the suitcase and walked out the front door. As she slid into her car, putting the suitcase in the back seat, she felt a sense of relief.  
The parking garage was thankfully empty as she pulled out of it and headed towards the police station. Chris would be putting in for vacation time. After he got off, Chris and Cass would begin their long journey to the land of old people and gators. She tried to keep calm as she debated whether she should tell Chris about what happened in the apartment. If he suspected something, then he would probably fight with her about her coming back next month. There was no conclusive proof that anything had happened. Just a creaky building and a misplaced picture.  
As she pulled the car to the back entrance to the station, she decided not to tell him. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Maybe the picture had just fallen further down into the suitcase. What would Umbrella want with a picture of them anyway? She just needed some time away from this city.  
A knock on her window made her jump, and she looked to see Kevin’s guilty face as he apologized. Taking the key from the ignition, she got out of the car. Kevin bashfully ran his hands through his hair before he spoke, “So… uh, I heard you guys are going on vacation?”  
“Yeah… to visit some family,” Cass replied quickly, checking to make sure the chief wasn’t nearby. “Just needed some time away.”  
“Oh, yeah, I get that,” Kevin said and looked away. He seemed like he was holding something back.  
“Want to ask me some questions about… ‘the incidents’?”  
“No! Uh, I mean, I already heard about that… I… just…”  
As Kevin started to mumble incomprehensively, Cass put a hand on his shoulder and took a deep look at his face.  
“Are you okay?”  
“If you’re that close… it makes this hard,” Kevin said and turned away, but Cass had seen how red his face was.  
“Aw… you going to miss me? Don’t worry. I’ll be back soon.”  
“That’s not it… I mean! Of course, I’ll miss you, but that’s not what I’m trying to say…”  
“Then spit it out. I promise I won’t laugh. After all, that’s what friends are for, right?”  
Kevin looked back at her with an uncharacteristic frown, and Cass grew more concerned. Finally, he said, “What if… I… you… this isn’t like me… I don’t expect you to accept my feelings right now. You’ve been through a lot, and this is more for me than you. But… I just have this weird feeling. Like if I don’t say this now… I won’t have another chance. So… I… I like you, and before you say anything, no, not in a ‘friends’ kind of way. Not that I don’t think you’re a good friend! It’s just… I want more than that.”  
Cass stood stunned as he pulled her into a hug. His arms gripped her tightly but still gently as he continued, “I wanted to be able to say ‘goodbye’ with a smile, but… I don’t think that’s going to happen today. I’ll see you soon.”  
With one last gentle squeeze, he let go of her and walked back into the building, leaving a stammering Cass behind. What could she say anyway? It was better for him if he just forgot about her. Umbrella would undoubtably make him a target. Brushing aside a tear, she closed the driver’s door and walked around to the other side. After collapsing into the passenger seat, she closed her eyes and waited for Chris.  
The sudden opening of the driver’s side door made her jolt awake. Chris gave her an apologetic smile as he climbed inside.  
“Sorry about that, but it’s probably not the best idea to take a nap anywhere near the chief.”  
“I wasn’t napping. I was closing my eyes for a moment.”  
“Right,” Chris responded with a smile. “You ready for our big adventure, partner?”  
“Sure.”  
“What’s wrong? Did something happen while you were at the apartment? I knew you should have waited until we could go with—”  
“Chris! It’s fine. I’m just tired… Just unbelievably tired.”  
Chris sighed and scratched the back of his neck. “Me too, but… we’re on vacation.” Chris gave her a big smile and continued, “We’ve got some time to have a little break. How about we make a couple stops on the way there?”  
“You have somewhere in mind?”  
“Nope!” Chris replied cheerfully, and Cass gave him a look. “Let’s just keep an eye on road signs and see where that takes us.”  
“Sounds dangerous.”  
“We can handle it,” Chris replied with confidence, giving Cass a hopeful smile. “So how about it? Like my plan?”  
“Sounds exciting. Let’s see where the road takes us.”  
Cass handed Chris the keys, and he started the car with a goofy grin. With one last look at the police station, she silently bid her friends goodbye.


	21. Chapter 21

A month away from Raccoon City hadn’t done her much good. She’d thought that if she was away from it all then she could relax, but relaxation turned out to be harder to find. She never did find that picture. The movers hadn’t found it either. With a heave and a sigh, Cass finished packing up the suitcase. How much clothing had she gotten since she got here?   
The sound of her father came from downstairs as she zipped up the suitcase. Carrying it down the stairs, she was careful to not make any noise. She wanted her things in the car before she bid them goodbye. Sneaking past her father, she made it outside. The sticky air made her yearn for Raccoon City. It had been hot there but nothing like this. She was careful to shut the door softly and made her way back inside.  
“Sneaking away, are we?” her grandfather said with a slight judgmental look in his eyes before he chuckled. “Just kidding. I’m going to miss you, kiddo.”  
Cass gave him a hug before making her way to the living room.  
“Thank you for letting me stay here for a while,” she said to her stepmother, who sat on the couch knitting while watching the television.  
“Leaving already?” Cass’ father asked as he burst into the room. “Did you even look at the job postings I showed you? That city is dangerous. You should just stay here.”  
“Well, I guess I’ll have to make it safer for Elza’s sake, won’t I?” Cass snapped back, sick of his comments.   
“Oh, honey,” her stepmother said in a syrupy voice. “He’s just worried for you.”  
“And thank you for your concern,” Cass said irritably before she started to leave the room.  
“Hey, kiddo,” her grandfather said from the doorway. “It looks like you forgot something in your room.”  
“Oh?” Cass asked, trying to figure out what it could be. She’d thought that she’d gotten everything. As she jogged up the stairs, she went through her list of belongings. She was pretty sure she hadn’t forgotten anything. Her grandfather waited for her by the entrance to the room.  
“Didn’t know you collected snakeskin? You find it out back?”  
Cass looked at him in confusion before looking into the room. A molted snakeskin sat on the counter next to a torn picture. She tossed the skin into the trash bin before she looked at the photo. It was the picture inside the frame that she had lost. Torn in half so that now it was only a picture of Chris. Chills went up her spine. Was this some kind of joke? Her grandfather seemed to be just as confused. Had Umbrella sent this to her as some kind of warning or threat? Was Chris safe?  
Getting back to Raccoon City was more important at the moment, she decided, putting the picture back in her pocket. She gave her grandfather another hug as she told him goodbye. He still looked confused but accepted her hug without another word.  
Cass took two steps at a time down the stairs barely avoiding crashing into her father.   
“I don’t like the idea of you going back there. Especially without Chris. A girl shouldn’t be alone in that city.”  
“I’m capable of handling myself, and I won’t be alone. Elza’s waiting for me on campus, and Jill’s waiting for me at the house. I’ve got plenty of people around me. I’ll be fine,” Cass argued for what felt like the hundredth time.  
“And both of them are women. And aside from that, I heard about your new roommate. Jill, right? Apparently, she’s on house arrest. No badge, no gun. What are you going to do if someone invades your house?”  
“We’ve got plenty of steak knives,” Cass snarked back with anger. It hadn’t mattered what she’d told him. Chief Irons and her father had worked together for a long time before her father had retired, and her father refused to believe that her experiences with that awful man were anything but a misunderstanding. “Aside from that, I have a gun. We’ll be fine.”  
“Cass… you shouldn’t put yourself in danger just to be with your friends.”  
“A lot of my friends are dead!” Cass snapped back and started walking back to her father. “And whose fault do you think that was?! Irons is a selfish, arrogant monster, and I won’t let him take anyone else from me.”  
“I thought your captain was the one who sent your friends on that mission.”   
“And whose approval did he have to get first?”  
“Being a chief means making a lot of tough calls. I’m sure Brian thought your friends could handle it. They were an advanced search and rescue team after all.”  
Cass sighed. This was hopeless, especially since she didn’t want to make him a target for Umbrella to use. Telling him the whole story might make him open his eyes, but even then, that was unlikely.   
“Goodbye. My stuff’s already in the car. I’ll call you when I get there,” Cass said in a calm tone.  
Her father gave her a hug and said, “I just want you to be safe. Where is Chris anyway? Last I heard he was going on vacation, but no one seems to know where.”  
Cass distanced herself from the hug and replied, “No idea. I believe he wrote something about babes and beaches.”  
“Atta boy.”  
Cass clenched her fist as she said goodbye to her stepmother and left the house. The fact that he believed that showed just how little he knew anyone. Getting into the car, she started the engine and took a deep breath. It was going to be a long drive back to the city alone. At least, she still had Chris’ mixtape. As she turned up the music, a small grin appeared on her face. Relief flooded her body as she drove farther and farther away from her father’s house. Surely, even Raccoon City wouldn’t be this stressful.  
She focused on listening to the music to drown out the new doubts filling her mind. Barry hadn’t contacted anyone in a while, but he had moved to Canada. No doubt he was busy. The chief had gotten suspicious of Jill and put her on house arrest. And Chris… the last she had heard about him was a note he had sent. Remembering the note, she laughed a little. He was trying to be subtle, but that had never been Chris’ strong suit.   
The fuel gauge cried out as she approached a gas station. Stopping to refuel, she noticed something odd on her back window: a handprint. Maybe it was from Kevin? She put her hand up to check the size. It was human sized at least, not completely reassuring. It could even be from her father or grandfather, resting something on top of the car. She relaxed and closed the door behind her before going inside to grab something to drink. As she paid for gas, she noticed a car pull up to the pump furthest from her car.   
A man got out of the car, and Cass got a chill down her spine. Something about the man was familiar. Cass turned away before he could look her way and quickly walked out of the store. Filling up the tank, she kept a wary eye toward the stranger. Where had she seen him? Was she just being paranoid? Taking a glance at the handprint, she laughed at herself. Getting unbalanced by a handprint and a stranger, it was a bit pathetic. Still, it wouldn’t hurt to be cautious.   
A payphone sat outside the gas station. Fishing some quarters out of her pocket, she decided to call Jill.  
“Hello?” asked Jill with frustration in her tone.  
“Hey, it’s me, Cass. How are things?” Cass asked as she warily glanced at the stranger.  
“Counting the days,” Jill replied irritably. “So, you’re on your way back now?”  
“Yup. Just stopped at a gas station to fuel up. I should be at the apartment tomorrow around sunset. I’ll take a break tonight. Find some motel.”  
“Okay then, just be careful.”  
“Have you heard from Chris?” Cass blurted out before checking on the stranger. He’d left the store and was smoking by his car at the pump.  
“Not since the letter. I think he’s onto something… and I wish I’d found more.”  
“If you had, then your punishment probably wouldn’t just be house arrest.”  
Jill sighed before she answered, “I guess you’re right. It probably wasn’t such a good idea to split up… but I was hoping…”  
“Right now, I’m more concerned with your safety than Umbrella. Karma will come for them, and I want all of us to be there when it does.”  
“Yeah, I agree. I’ll see you when you get here.”  
“See you soon,” Cass promised, hanging up the phone.  
After getting back into the car, she headed toward a more traffic heavy highway. It would take longer to get home, but she’d have witnesses if anything bad happened. As she looked behind her, she could see the car following her. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel until the car took a different ramp. With a sigh of relief, she relaxed. What had put her so on edge? She tried to remember who he reminded her of, but she couldn’t think of anyone specific. It was likely that Umbrella or its competitor had eyes on her; she just needed to play it cool. Turning the radio back on, she concentrated on the music as she made the journey home.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My upload day will be changing to Friday/Saturday as my work schedule is changing.)

A yawn stretched her face as Cass took the final turn toward their apartment. Excitement was the only thing keeping her awake at the moment. The last time she’d even seen the apartment it had been empty. Arranging the room to her liking would have to wait until she’d gotten some shut-eye though. Two days of driving hadn’t been kind.   
A crash up ahead had caused a bunch of people to get out of their cars. With another yawn, she turned onto a side street to find a less crowded place to park the car. Cass could see the apartment in the distance as she ran up an abandoned side street. With a careful look over her shoulder, she continued toward her building. A moan caught her by surprise as a man lurched at her from the shadows. A swift kick caught him in the chest, and he tumbled to the ground.  
“Hey! What was that about?!” Cass shouted before the man’s movements caught her attention.   
The man snarled and leapt at her again, but Cass jumped out of the way. With a cough, he fell to the ground again. Jumping over the man, Cass bolted toward the building. Mobs of men and women fought in the streets. Fires blazed, and Cass could hear the screaming of police officers as they shouted to their comrades. Out of breath, she made it to the apartment complex and stumbled into the elevator. As the door closed, she saw a woman with sickly eyes turn toward her. Slamming the “close door” button, she backed into a corner. For a few precious moments, the button did nothing. The woman stumbled closer, and Cass held her breath. Thankfully, the door closed before the woman could make it into the elevator.  
The elevator made creaking sounds as it ascended. Cass focused on catching her breath while it slowly neared her floor. The elevator door opened to a thankfully empty hallway. With shaking hands, she fumbled with the keys before finding the right one. The door opened before she could insert the key, and Jill looked at her worriedly.  
“What’s going on out there?” Jill asked, clearly watching the news. “We should help.”  
Cass grabbed onto Jill’s arm and said hurriedly, “They’re infected! The whole city probably is too! We need to stay here. There’s no way we can fight them in the streets.”  
“So we just hide here?” Jill asked angrily.  
“No! Well, for the moment. How are we going to help right now? You know as well as I do that the second you leave here the chief will put you in prison… or worse!”  
“Shit…” Jill mumbled but seemed to be in agreement. “Okay… so what can we do? We can’t call the police. Irons is probably listening in… So what can we do?”  
Jill sounded almost lost, but Cass couldn’t see anything that they could do at the moment. However, there might be someone they could call. Dialing his number, Cass thanked the sky when she heard his voice.  
“Ben Bertolucci. This is a bad time. Can I call you back later?”  
“Later might not be a good time either,” Cass replied irritably.  
“Oh! Cass! Glad to hear you’re safe. Listen, I’m onto something right now. A couple cops might have the info I need to take down Irons.”  
“Have you checked the news?”  
“Uh, no… I’ve been busy. Is everything alright?”  
“You need to get out of town. That disease Umbrella manufactured… I think it’s affecting people in the city.”  
Gunshots fired below them. A knock on the door made Cass turn to Jill. Grabbing a hunting knife, Jill slowly walked up to the door, trying not to make any sounds.   
“Holy hell… have you turned on the news? There’s a riot at the stadium… Hey, Cass, you still there?”  
“Quiet, please,” Cass whispered as Jill approached the door.   
“I’ll call you back in a minute. Gats needs to know about this,” Ben said and hung up.  
Cass let out a small sigh of frustration before turning her attention back to the door. Jill peeked out the eyehole before relaxing and opening the door. A weary Brad came into the apartment before quickly shutting the door behind himself.  
“Sorry,” Brad said as he leaned against the door.   
“Why did you come here?” Cass asked before Brad put his finger to his lip.   
Motioning for them to follow him deeper into the apartment, they followed him into Cass’ new room. As Brad locked the door behind them, he spoke in a low voice, “Speak quietly or else they’ll know you’re here. If they don’t see or hear you, they don’t know you’re there.”  
“Why did you come here?” Jill asked, crossing her arms. “I thought that you were done with the ‘S.T.A.R.S. fiasco’.”  
“I was… or I tried to be done with it… but that doesn’t matter right now. We need to get out of the city. Not right at this moment. I only made it here because I happened to be nearby.”  
“And needed a place to hide?” Jill asked irritably.  
“Chris asked me to at least tell you when something went wrong, and here I am. Now let’s work together and figure a way out of this mess.”  
“Figure a way out? We should be trying to help people,” Jill argued, putting a hand on her hip.  
“How can we help people when we can’t even help ourselves?!”  
As Jill and Brad began to argue over what to do next, Cass stared at the phone. Did Ben even have this number? She dialed Elza’s number. Straight to her answering machine. Hadn’t she said something about a race today?  
“Hey, Elza. Please get out of the city while you can. If I don’t hear that you’re safe by tomorrow… I’ll come for you. Just please… please stay safe.”  
Brad and Jill had stopped arguing. Jill gave her a worried look, and Cass didn’t meet her gaze.  
“My cousin… she goes to Raccoon University. If she doesn’t call back by tomorrow…”  
“We’ll find her,” Jill said convincingly while Brad didn’t look so sure.  
“Thank you,” Cass said with a small smile before she decided to check on Gats.   
“Hello,” Gats answered warily.  
“This is Cass. Are you somewhere safe?”  
“Oh, Cass. Yes! That idiot Ben. He realized he didn’t have your number after he hung up on you. I’ll let him know you called me when he gets here. My area is safe… for the moment. I’m trying to coordinate with my people inside Umbrella, but… I haven’t heard back from them. Either Umbrella found out they were selling information, or the chaos we see out here is merely a symptom of a much bigger problem. I don’t know which I like less… Ben wants to investigate your old chief more. He believes that will help us take down Umbrella.”  
“I need to find my cousin. She’s at the university… I hope.”  
“Stay where you are for the night. Perhaps Umbrella will have this covered by morning… although I doubt it. If you plan on going to the university anyway… one of my informants told me about the university having a special lab for Umbrella. And one of their scientists may have been working on a cure. I don’t know how successful he was, but perhaps you could check it out for me.”  
“Of course… provided Umbrella don’t make me into Swiss cheese.”  
“Just between us… I think something has gone very wrong in the Umbrella labs. This doesn’t benefit them in any way, so this has to be a mistake. I could be wrong, but… be very careful. Go slow when you need to.”  
“Yes, Ma’am. Stay safe.”  
“Same to you, my friend.”  
Cass hung up the phone and turned to see Jill and Brad giving her a curious look. She explained, “That was… a friend. She’s also been investigating Umbrella. She says there’s an Umbrella lab at Raccoon University which may have a cure… It might be better if we split up. We wait here until morning and see if Umbrella clears this up. I’ll go to the University. Brad can leave the city. And Jill… you can try to help as many people as you can. I know you want to. This way Brad can contact the authorities, I can try to find the cure and Elza, and you can check out the police station and help people get out of here.”  
Brad seemed mollified with this plan, but Jill looked concerned.  
“Are you sure that’s what you want to do?”  
“Yes. Umbrella will have a harder time stopping us if we all take separate routes, and maybe at least one of us will succeed.”  
“How positive,” Brad murmured before walking over to the couch and collapsing on top of it. “Better get some sleep while we can then.”


	23. Chapter 23

Creeping through a desolate alleyway, Cass kept her gun ready. It would be better if she didn’t have to use it, but until she found a quieter weapon, it was all she had. Luckily, she had been able to take quite a bit of ammo in her backpack. She wished that she could have shared it with Jill, but Jill had assured Cass that Jill would find her own weapon. Hearing the shuffling of footsteps, she hid behind a trashcan. A sudden shout made her look up. A man had stumbled and fallen as a woman sauntered toward him.   
“Hey!” Cass yelled out grabbing the metal trash can lid.  
A screech filled the air, and Cass was now the target. Cass flung the metal lid at the woman. With a sickening crunch, it hit her square in the jaw. The man had picked himself back up and took off in the other direction. A moan from behind her caught her attention. Two more infected people walked toward her from the other side. A screech told her that the woman had gotten back up and was on her way to take a bite out of Cass.  
A fire escape nearby was her best option, and Cass bolted up the stairs. Clanging from beneath her told her that the infected people were following. A window was open. Cass crawled through it hesitantly. If she could get in here, then someone else could have too. Shutting the window behind her, she hid behind the sofa as she waited for footsteps. The only sounds she could hear were the infected outside banging on the window. Quickly getting back to her feet, she bolted for the door as she heard the glass breaking behind her.   
The hallway was empty, but she was sure that there were others on the ground floor. Perhaps they were even waiting by the elevator. A sign to the stairway caught her attention. Cass looked the apartment door behind her and prayed they weren’t smart enough to unlock it. Banging from the other side made her feel hopeful. As she opened the doorway to the stairs, she heard more moaning from below. Heading up the stairs, she decided to get a good look at the city from the rooftop.  
Abandoning the car seemed to be the better choice. No doubt there were cars left in the streets as people tried to get away from the infected. Her suspicions were proven correct as she looked down at the city. The fire escape was just below her, and it seemed like everyone had went inside the window below her. With a good heave, she landed herself on the railing below. She winced as the metal screeched. Bolting down the stairs, the sound of more glass breaking followed her as more infected tried to follow.   
As her feet touched the solid ground, she gained a little more confidence. Getting all the way to Raccoon University would take more miles of avoiding being bitten, but at least it wasn’t on a shaky fire escape. She continued running as people collapsed on the sidewalk. Either they were scared or the sickness was taking its toll. She couldn’t afford to check which it was.   
People walked down the street, but Cass could see from their stride that they were infected. She gave them a wide berth as she charged through. A radio broadcast playing on a nearby abandoned car caught her attention. The police station was being used as a shelter. Cass hoped Jill was on her way to help the survivors. And Kevin… she hoped he was okay.   
A crash sounded from her right, and she turned to see an infected dog sprinting toward her. She aimed her gun and downed the animal in three shots. Unfortunately, that attracted the attention of everyone on the street.  
“Goddammit,” she murmured before once again climbing on a fire escape.  
As they followed her, she could hear the strain of the metal. Even if it had been up to code, it wasn’t made for this many people at once. She jumped from the railing as she felt it beginning to slide down under the weight. Catching herself on the side of an abandoned semi-truck, she pulled herself on top and looked around the street. It seemed like the infected people had difficulty climbing as they raged below her. The sound of an engine revving caught her attention. She looked behind her to see a man on a motorcycle headed her way.   
He stopped a good distance from the mob and asked, “Need a ride?!”  
After some of the mob began to turn around, Cass jumped down, using a few of them to break her fall. Dodging the grasping arms of the few infected people not by the truck, she raced for the bike and hopped on. He maneuvered around the mob and zoomed onto the main road. Holding on tightly, she wondered just who her savior was. A helmet obscured his face, but he had a French accent. Maybe he had transferred to Raccoon City for work. How unfortunate.   
Pulling off the main road, he turned onto a side road leading to a storage facility. After entering a passcode, he slammed down the door behind them. Cass got off the bike and took a quick look around. The storage shed had been converted into a mechanic’s workshop. Motorcycle parts littered the room.   
“Ah, this is my… ‘hobby’, I believe is the correct word,” the man said as he took off his helmet.   
His slicked back blonde hair and sunglasses caught her attention, and she took a step back. He wasn’t Wesker, but it still gave her chills. The man looked at her curiously.  
“Something wrong, Miss…?”  
“Call me Cass,” she replied as she tried to force herself to be calm. Plenty of people thought that look was cool. Besides, she had never seen Wesker wear leather, and it was hard to picture Wesker wearing anything out of uniform. “And you?”  
“Ah, first name basis, are we? Splendid! And you can call me Daniel.”  
His energy was certainly different than Wesker’s. Excitable and friendly. But then again Wesker’s entire personality had been a lie. Perhaps Daniel was hiding his true personality as well.  
“So, Daniel, why aren’t you driving out of this city? It’s not exactly vacation material at the moment.”  
Daniel let out a surprised laugh and said, “No, not very relaxing. Unfortunately, they’ve blocked us in.”  
“Who are ‘they’?”  
“Your government… perhaps Umbrella? No idea, but does that matter anyway?”  
She supposed not. The result was still the same; they were stuck here.   
“I hate to ask this of you, but… is there any way you could drop me off by Raccoon University?”  
Daniel raised an eyebrow and asked, “Trying to turn in a paper? I’m sure classes will be excused for the moment.”  
“No, my cousin is there. I haven’t heard from her, and… I just need to see if she’s okay.”  
“What if she’s not there?”  
“She might not be… but I need to try.”  
Daniel seemed to be thinking it over and said, “Raccoon University… I can do that. I heard that… there’s a secret facility there. Maybe that’s what caused this.”  
Daniel had looked over to her as her eyes widened in surprise. The fact that he knew about the lab was suspicious, but she needed him. It would take a lot longer to get to the university without transportation.  
“Did the police find that out?” she asked, pretending to not know about the situation with the police.   
“No, a reporter I know… Ben Bertolucci.”   
Cass relaxed at the sound of a familiar name. Ben would know about the Umbrella lab. She just wondered how much her new friend knew.  
“So you know Ben?”  
“Ah! You do too! How serendipitous! Umbrella has been moving some of their ‘enterprises’ to Europe, so I decided to take my inquiries to their home base. Luckily, I found Ben before I tried speaking to them.”  
“Yeah, we’re lucky to have Ben living here. Always going out of his way to protect his hometown.”  
“Of course!” Daniel replied happily before looking around the garage. “He does love this city.”  
Cass watched curiously as Daniel looked in different closets. If he had a weapon, then he probably would have had it on him before he went into the city. At least she hoped he was that smart. He muttered something happily in French and lifted a helmet off of the ground.  
“I knew I had an extra,” he said with a grin and offered it to her with an outstretched hand.   
“Thank you,” she replied with a small smile. “So… you going to join me on this suicide mission?”  
“Don’t be so pessimistic!” he said before putting on his helmet. “Let’s save your cousin and save the world.”  
“I really wish I could have an ounce of your enthusiasm,” Cass muttered before she put on the helmet and joined him on the bike.


End file.
